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Overbeck’s is a National Trust property near Salcombe, South Devon. An Edwardian house with a lovely sub-tropical garden, it enjoys spectacular views over Salcombe Estuary and Salcombe Bay looking towards Prawle Point. The Edwardian house was built on the site of a Victorian Villa and was once known as Sharpitor House until it was bought by the eccentric scientist and inventor Otto Overbeck. Nowadays 6 rooms of the house contain the Overbeck’s Museum, the remainder of the house being leased to the Youth Hostel Association. The museum contains his diverse collection of curios with natural history objects, nautical artefacts reflecting Salcombe's ship building heritage, a ‘secret’ room designed for children, Victorian phonogram (played every 30 minutes during the day) and a cabinet devoted to Otto Overbeck himself. The cabinet includes his popular electrical rejuvenator which earned the scientist his fortune.

The gardens at Overbeck’s enjoy a mild micro-climate which enables the growth of many tender plants giving the whole garden a Mediterranean 'feel'. The garden is a series of small enclosures designed in the early 1900s by Edric Hopkins. It was developed by Mr and Mrs George Medlicott Vereker after they purchased the house and garden in 1913. Otto Overbeck bought the property in 1928 and developed it further planting many more palm trees as well as growing bananas, oranges and pomegranates. The garden contains a rich collection of trees, shrubs and flowering plants including an entrance lined by an avenue of Chusan Palm trees which Otto also planted throughout the garden, Echium pininana from the Canary Islands, with its incredible 16ft tall lavender-blue flower spikes, banana trees (Musa basjoo) and the most famous plant in the garden; a one hundred year old Magnolia Campbelli planted in the original garden design and whose deep pink blossoms can be seen from far beyond the garden. The house, collections and gardens were bequeathed to the National Trust in 1937 by Otto Overbeck in his will.

Panoramic views of Overbeck's, click on thumbnail to view
Overbeck's The House The House Overbeck's - The Garden View from the top of the Garden
Overbeck's - The Garden The Garden - Chusan Palms Overbeck's - The Garden Herbaceous Garden
Overbeck's - The Garden The Garden - including some of the Echium pininana Echium pininana from the Canary Islands, with its incredible 16ft tall lavender-blue flower spikes and Musa basjoo (Japanese banana tree).
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