Williams, Martins & Fords
Hedley Williams
Owned Trebah 1947-1948
After the war had finished Trebah was purchased by local farmer Hedley Williams. During his short tenure he planted herbaceous and kitchen gardens, where our current nursery stands, and planned to sell cut flowers to Covent Garden flower market.
We know very little about his ownership though there are a couple of historical newspaper reports of run-ins with the authorities, including one for “driving without due care”.
The Martyns
Owned Trebah 1948-1952
In 1947, the Martyn family bought the garden from Hedley Williams.
Upon moving to Trebah, they intended to update the Victorian mansion and therefore initially moved into Chycoose, a property on the border of the garden.
They had the moor, near what we now call Mallard Pond, ploughed and drained, planting hundreds of blue hydrangeas, which remain an iconic sight at Trebah to this day. The Gunnera Plantation was likely creatrf at this time too, though photos show the plant was in the garden from at least the 1930s.
In 1986, Charles Bickham, Trebah’s Head Gardener from 1950-1952, wrote a letter to ‘The Garden’ RHS magazine showing the vast amount of restoration and planting undertaken during his two year period at Trebah.
“I trust also many of the plants which it was my good fortune to add to the gardens are still flourishing.”
Charles Bickham
A devastating loss
On 18th June 1949, less than a fortnight after moving into the newly renovated Victorian mansion, a fire broke out.
Isobel Kessell, who lived at Trebah Farm from 1925-1980, recalled in a 1993 interview that “in the middle of an exceptionally hot summer, the workmen spent one Saturday morning in the roof of the mansion working with blowtorches. At lunchtime they went home for the weekend.” The blowtorches accidentally set fire to the roof.
Together with other children, Isobel ran in and out of the house and helped bring out the contents. Fortunately a lot of the Martyns’ possessions were still in the neighbouring property where they were temporarily staying.
Before long the whole house was engulfed in flames and, despite the best efforts of five fire brigades of 60 officers and local men, the house was destroyed, leaving only the original Georgian house standing.
The Fords
Owned Trebah 1952-1961
Audrey and Freddie Ford purchased Trebah from the Martyns in 1952. They had been living in Africa, along with their two daughters, Sheila, nicknamed Gwattie, and Suki, where Freddie had worked thanks to a background in tin mining.
The few photos we have from their time living at Trebah show many happy moments but in 1961, less than 10 years after purchasing the estate, the Fords put Trebah up for auction.
The lodge and Chycoose, a neighbouring property, pictured below, were sold off separately.
