49 Advertising feature
serving top quality beach food from prawn wraps to vegetable tagines! The beach is a hotspot for weddings, either in the café or in a luxurious white marquee nearby. There are also events such as rock pool ram- bles, triathlons and, of course, the much anticipated music festival this summer - “Tunes on the Sands” takes place in July with big names such as UB40 and The Proclaimers taking to the stage on the picturesque beach. Geoffrey says they also hope to bring back some of the popular outdoor cinema events. Where is the garden? The Newmans also own a three- acre sub-tropical garden hidden behind a little green door on the other side of the road! Established in 1896 by Geoffrey’s grandfather, Robert Lydston Newman (then Deputy Governor of the Bank of England), the garden has rare and colourful plants from South Africa, Chile, New Zealand and Australia. “My grandfather frequently visited friends in Cornwall and returned with plants and cuttings to emulate those fine sub-tropical gardens in that county. Some are enormous, it’s as if they aren’t real, but I can assure you they are! We have managed to sustain and increase the collection because of the micro climate here.” His mother used to regularly supply vegetables and flowers to London’s markets. Geoffrey took it over and opened it to the public in 2000. A grant from the European Union enabled him to lay paths and make trees safe so the garden could be enjoyed by visitors. Now the lovingly restored grounds are open everyday from Easter to the end of September between 10 and 4, with tickets and a map available from the attendant at Blackpool Sands. Geoffrey also hosts guided tours by appointment. What is it like running a working lighthouse? The Newman family also own farmland and the car park at Start Point. They manage the day-to-day running of Start Point Lighthouse that sits splendidly on top of the craggy headland. Mary says it’s an
honour: “We take people on tours from Easter until October and it’s lovely to see their faces when they reach the top. It’s not only the view that’s staggering; you are in a living, working piece of history. It keeps you fit walking up all those stairs, but fortunately we have a rota of
“We could never contemplate doing any- thing that might harm this beautiful environment”
guides to share the work, thank goodness!” The Lighthouse was closed for modernising for eight months over the winter. It was a big job. There are a lot of cables in a lighthouse! The lamps are now LED and they flash by switching on and off. “It means we no longer see the sweeping beam of light that was created by the revolving lens. Many locals have noticed the difference and say they miss the loom of the old light, but it’s now much easier to run and more sustainable.” Do you feel responsible for this stretch of the coastline, which has remained so unspoilt for years? “Absolutely. We are not just the landlords, we are the custodians of this beautiful scenery for the next
generations and I want to preserve it for them.” Geoffrey explains. “When people climb to the top of the lighthouse some look back across Start Bay towards Blackpool Sands and say it looks just the same as when they came here as a child. That is what we want to achieve. My sea-faring family have worked tirelessly to protect this beautiful coastline.” In the 1400s the Newman family are recorded as trading goods from the port of Dartmouth. Later, in the 18th and 19th centuries, they, along with other local families ac- quired or built a fleet of sailing ships that traded very successfully across the Atlantic specialising in port wine and salted cod fish. Geoffrey’s son Robert says he feels passionate about the area and wants to keep it sustainable, scenic and protected from unsympathetic development. “We could never contemplate doing anything that might harm this beautiful environment”. Sir Geoffrey is also conscious of the history of the area. “1404 saw a substantial French force defeated at Blackpool Sands. Operation Tiger saw the US Marines requisitioning the beach as well as Slapton Sands to rehearse the D-Day landings. At Hallsands there is considerable interest in the village which was washed away in a storm in 1917 and Slapton Ley with its amazing wildlife and ecology is a national nature reserve. So, there is much here to look after and protect for future generations and we feel very proud to be part of it.” For more information go to
www.blackpoolsands.co.uk www.startpointdevon.co.uk
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