History:

Hallsannery was bought in 1984 and was then developed as a Field Centre by a partnership of the Cornford and Jollands families.  The main house, although Georgian in design was not built until the 1840s during the reign of Queen Victoria. The original owner was Thomas Goldie Harding.  The Hardings were an old Devonshire family. Early records show them at Combe Martin where they farmed at Buzzacott in the reign of Henry ll. The family became wealthy on the sale of wool and built Upcott in 1710, which can still be seen on the way to Braunton, and also the Rectory at Marwood. Thomas Goldie Harding was the first son of the Rev John Limebear Harding of Monkleigh. His second son, John Limebear, became Rector of Littleham. Thomas Goldie married Marianne Woolocombe and they had 7 children, 6 girls and 1 son, Stafford, who inherited Hallsannery when his father died when he was just 19. He was also heir to Upcott so it was decided to sell Hallsannery.

The main house had adjoining servants’ quarters at the back, as well as a coach house where grooms and coachmen used to live.  We think the parkland was planted at the same time and still contain the original oaks, which are now almost 200 years old.  A cottage was built at the beginning of this century for the gardener and housekeeper, and three new buildings have been added in the last 17 years since the estate has been a residential Field Centre. In November 2005, the decision was made to run fewer residential courses,  but day courses continue using other providers in the Bideford area for accommodation.

Landscape:
The Parkland looks to the North over Bideford and to the East over the Torridge Estuary and the Tarka trail, once a railway line (land belonging to Hallsannery was sold to the Railway Company in 1869) and now a cycling and walking trail.  It is an area of high landscape value.  There are two areas of woodland, which were probably planted at the same time as the Parkland: at the time of purchase in 1984 these areas had become completely colonised by Rhododendron ponticum which we are slowly removing to improve the wildlife value.

Involvement under Countryside Stewardship :
Our hedgerows boundaries are being restored in the traditional way and the stone faced hedge banks repaired and restored to the style of the area.  On the species-rich grassland (Steep Slope) the scrub, composed mainly of gorse, is being controlled by removing and burning off site.  We are not applying fertiliser to the Parkland in the hope of restoring it to a species-rich grassland.  The trees in the Parkland will be replaced if needed with other native species.  We hope that over time the area will return to the way it looked in Victorian times.

- Integrated Geochemical Interpretation:   -geochemical training and services to the oil industry based at Hallsannery