Ugbrooke House and Gardens

Ugbrooke House lies in a quiet valley outside Chudleigh in Devon. This Grade I listed building has remained the Clifford family home for centuries, with roots tracing back to an entry in the Domesday Book of 1086.

The mid-18th century brought major change when the 4th Lord Clifford engaged Robert Adam to reshape the house. Adam adopted a castellated exterior – an early example of his playful ‘toy fort’ approach – while crafting refined interiors that still define the principal rooms today. Those spaces hold an impressive assembly of paintings, 18th-century furniture, needlework, ceramics and military items gathered across generations.

St Cyprian’s Chapel stands apart within the house. Rededicated as a Catholic place of worship in 1673, it has hosted services without interruption ever since and claims the title of the oldest Catholic parish church in the southwest.

Outside, the 3000-acre estate bears the clear signature of Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown. Working late in his career, Brown dammed the Ug brook to form two broad lakes, laid out sweeping avenues of oak and chestnut, and shaped the open parkland that frames views from the house. Much of that layout survives intact, with ongoing planting following his original plans.

Near the house, formal gardens add structure and detail. A lavender parterre sits beside clipped box hedging, while a small maze provides quiet diversion. Visitors also find a fernery, walled enclosures, a silver-and-blue greenhouse border, and a Chapel Garden planted with Australian and New Zealand species that nod to family connections. A recently cleared slope beside the upper lake now forms a magnolia walk.

Paths wind through woodland and along the water, linking the open park to more intimate areas. The Orangery offers light meals and drinks in a sheltered spot overlooking the grounds. The house and gardens rate highly with many reviews.