On this day in Wembury, 10 July 1852, Exeter and Plymouth Gazette
In the summer of 1852 a notable advertisement appeared in the Exeter and Plymouth Gazette offering for sale the fee simple of Hollowcombe Wood in the parish of Wembury. The notice described a desirable stretch of land on the Yealm, about four miles from Plymouth, with seven acres of excellent woodland stocked with fine oak and other trees. The river frontage was highlighted as an ideal place to keep a boat, with the promise of a peaceful landing spot and the possibility of building a cottage to take in what the paper called a splendid view across a fine country.
The land was said to be rich and well supplied with the best water. Alongside the main wood a second field was offered comprising two acres of meadow and woodland. It adjoined more than one hundred acres of game rich land, and the agent emphasised that a sporting purchaser could be well accommodated in the neighbourhood.
Enquiries were directed to Mr William Anthony at Traine, Wembury. This small advertisement captures a moment when parts of the Yealm valley were already valued for their scenery, their timber, and their sporting potential, long before modern development reached the area.
Source, Exeter and Plymouth Gazette, 10 July 1852.