On This Day in Wembury – 13 September 1832
Wembury Mansion and Estate Auction Notice
The Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette carried an announcement of the forthcoming sale of a grand freehold residence at Wembury, the property of Sir Edward Thornton, G.C.B., who was removing to London. The estate comprised an elegant mansion with ten bedchambers, fine reception rooms, library, domestic offices, and extensive stabling for ten horses. Surrounded by lawns, paddocks, plantations, greenhouses, and productive gardens, the house commanded sweeping views over the sea and the wooded banks of the River Yealm. In total, the grounds covered about 30 acres, with a separate cottage and garden offered as a second lot. The auction was scheduled for 8 October at the Royal Hotel, Plymouth.
This sale illustrates how, even in the early 19th century, Wembury attracted families of rank and fortune, its coastal scenery and fertile land making it desirable to men like Sir Edward Thornton. From medieval manorial sales to Victorian estate dispersals, the history of Wembury House and its neighbours has often mirrored the ebb and flow of national wealth and politics.
Entries are summaries and interpretations of historical newspaper reports.