Devon

Parminter walk

Follow in the steps of A la Ronde's two spinster cousins, Jane and Mary Parminter, and enjoy a stroll around the meadow which is rich in flora, fauna and wildlife. There are some excellent views from the top of the walk over the Exe estuary, where wild flowers, butterflies and birdsong abound.

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Total steps: 4

Start point

A la Ronde car park, grid ref: SY004834

Step 1

From the car park follow the path to the shop and visitor reception. Normal admission applies to enter the grounds of A la Ronde.

Whats missing?

The grounds were much larger than the meadow that remains today, but there are clues to how it looked. A previous pathway in the far lower corner of the Parminter walk, led through a gate to the gardener's cottage. At the bottom of the meadow opposite the house, the brick wall glimpsed through the trees was the entrance to the cousins' vegetable garden. As you climb back to the house, look to your right and imagine the extensive orchards once there.

Step 2

Follow along the perimeter of the meadow.

Potter around the perimeter

Jane and Mary Parminter would have walked this way often, pausing to look up at the house which is the main focus of the garden. The grounds were designed in the Picturesque style of the 1790s. This approach incorporated natural features, unlike earlier manicured and artificial landscapes. Much of the garden is still the original Parminter design. We want to reinstate some of the lost planting, and may even return cows and sheep, which the cousins were known to have kept.

Step 3

Enjoy the panoramic view from the Centenary Obelisk.

Take the long view

A la Ronde looks out over Exmouth and the River Exe. Viewpoints are designed to draw attention to important landmarks. Across the estuary you can see Powderham Castle, where major renovations were underway when A la Ronde was built. You'll also see the Powderham Follies and Haldon Belvedere. Exmouth originally seemed so far away that the Parminter cousins built their own chapel at Point in View nearby to avoid having to travel.

Step 4

Head back along the path to the walk's starting point.

End point

A la Ronde car park, grid ref: SY004834

Trail map

Map route for parminter walk, A la Ronde — Map route for Parminter walk, A la Ronde | © Crown copyright and database rights 2013 Ordnance Survey

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Summer Lane, Exmouth, Devon, EX8 5BD

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alaronde@nationaltrust.org.uk

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Parminter walk

Total steps: 4