Knightshayes Court Gardens

On this incredibly hot sunny day we visited Tiverton and then the nearby Knightshayes Court Gardens.  The gardens ate extensive and were full of colour although I opted to post a picture of this tranquil area.  

The extra shows a detail from a chapel built on the outside of St Peter’s Church in Tiverton in 1517.  The decorations engraved on the white Beer stone show, amongst others, ships belonging to John Greenway and his life as a merchant.   John Greenway was was the first great Tiverton merchant.  He exported West Country cloth to Europe and won valuable contracts for King Henry VII.  He also armed his ships to protect sailors and merchant men from pirates.