Overbeck Sharpitor is an elegant Edwardian house set on a steep slope overlooking the sea, above the little port of Salcombe. The building, like the Victorian villa it replaced, is known as Sharpitor after the the craggy promontory that lies just off shore.
However, the collections the house contains are named after Otto Overbeck, a scientist, who lived at the house from 1928 - 37. The house, collections and gardens were given to the National Trust by Mr Overbeck in 1937.
The Overbecks Museum is laid out in a half-dozen rooms but the building still has the feel of a private house.
A nautical collection reflects Salcombe's ship-building heyday in the 1870s when the port was famous for building schooners. There are shipwrights' tools and model ships, including the Phoenix, which was built here in 1836. Photographs of the Swedish ship Herzogin Cecilie which was wrecked off the Devon coast in 1936 are a reminder of the hazards of sea-faring.
The Natural History collection contains examples of local wildlife and rare British butterflies, insects and birds' eggs.
There is also a cabinet devoted to Otto Overbeck. This includes his popular electrical rejuvenator patented in 1924 and details of Overbeck's non-alcoholic beer.
In a secret room under the stairs is a collection of dolls and toys. The rooms has been especially created for children and contains room settings from doll's houses which once belonged to the Overbeck family. There are also tin soldiers and a ghost hunt.
The six acres of gardens were created in the early 20th century and contain one of the richest and most varied collections of trees, shrubs and flowering plants to be found in England. There are fruiting oranges in the conservatory and the whole garden has a Mediterranean flavour.
The warm wet climate encourages sub-tropical palms, pines and cypresses to flourish and the palms even seed themselves. Below the upper lawn the garden slopes steeply down towards the sea in a series of terraces. In this sheltered site many rare and tender species thrive including olives and a Japanese banana.
Fushias grow almost wild in the hedgerows. In the spring the magnificent pink blooms of magnolias are visible from far beyond the garden and Overbecks is famous for the beautiful 'Magnolia campbelli'. This was one of the fine trees planted at the turn of the 20th century when the structure of the garden, including the terraces, was first established.
Across Salcombe Bay can be seen the dramatic headland of Prawle Point. Inland there are views to Salcombe and over the wooded slopes of the Kingsbridge estuary.
2008 House:15 Mar-30 Jun & Sep-5 Oct: 11:00-17:00 Mon-Fri & Sun; Jul-Aug:11:00-17:00 Daily; 6 Oct-2 Nov: 11:00-17:00 Mon-Thur & Sun. Open Sats on Bank Holiday weekends. Garden closed 25-26 Dec & 1 Jan, closes dusk if earlier.
Tel: 01548 842893 Overbecks Museum & Gardens Website
