The Sharpham Archive

Do you have memories of Sharpham or Ashprington?  Maybe even artefacts or photographs to do with the South Devon Estate near Totnes?

The Sharpham Trust has begun an archive to hold items, pictures, maps and text to do with its centuries-long history.

We’re trying to put together the history of Sharpham, especially in the 19th and 20th centuries. We want to appeal to people who live around the area – do they have connections, did their family ever work here? Do they have any old photographs, any memorabilia?

We want to hear people’s memories.

“I spoke to a woman whose father was head gardener here from 1913 through to the 1930s. She gave me a whole picture of what life was like, from the sorts of things grown in the garden to how her father used to put the first bunch of grapes he harvested from here under his hat to present to his family!”

Lynette Gribble, former chair of Sharpham Trustees, is working hard to catalogue any finds – and explore any myths or stories about Sharpham.

“There’s hearsay about a number of things and what the Archive is gradually doing is looking for the evidence in support of it”, said Lynette.

The Archive is housed in a room at Sharpham House, and there are plans for digitising some of the content to display on Sharpham’s website and show selected pieces on Sharpham’s open days.