The Bear's hut
As you wander through the garden you'll notice a curious structure at the top of the lawn nestled beneath the trees.
The Bear's hut was built in 1808 by John Veitch on behalf of Sir Thomas Dyke Acland. Veitch was very fond of Sir Thomas' wife Lydia, and the two of them planned the hut as a surprise. As Thomas and Lydia married in 1808, it is thought that the hut is probably modelled on a similar garden shelter at her family home.
This hut was known at the time as the 'Ladycott', which would act as a summerhouse for the family. The hut has a thatched roof and is constructed of timber from the estate. The beautiful stained glass window in the hut was collected by the Acland family on their travels. Each room is lined with different materials, from varying woods and deer skin, to matting and pine cones, with bark adorning some of the walls. The floor in the inner room is 'cobbled' with deer knuckle-bones.
The hut was renamed because in the 1860s it was used to house a black bear called Tom, which had been brought to Killerton by the 12th Baronet's brother, Gilbert, on his return from Canada.