Overbecks Museum and Gardens, Sharpitor, Salcombe, Devon
Overbecks Museum and Gardens is hidden away amongst the trees high on the clifftop above the Salcombe estuary. The Edwardian house was the seaside home of inventor Otto Overbeck and part of it is now a museum showcasing his inventions and curios. Stars of the show are The Rejuvenator, a machine that promoted good health by applying a small electrical current to the body through electrodes, and the Polyphone, an early music box. There are old toys and dolls to see, and a fascinating natural history collection of stuffed animals, butterflies, insects and fossils.
The 2.75 acre gardens at Overbecks are unusual in that the mild microclimate allows exotic plants to flourish, so there is an impressive collection of specimens from all over the world, including a stunning Himalayan Magnolia. There are surprises at every twist and turn of the meandering pathways; see the huge date palm in the Secret Garden, the rare and exotic from around the globe in the Bed of Treasures, the ginger lilies and palms in the Banana Garden. In the springtime the gardens are a dream with swathes of bluebells, narcissi and snakeshead fritillaries. If you go to Overbecks make sure you allow time to amble around leisurely and take it all in because it’s like being transported to another time and another land, and that, these days, is hard to find.
Note: At the time of writing (May 2022) the museum is not currently open.
T: 01548 842893 All information correct at the time of writing