Guided tour of Downes House (Exeter Branch)

A guided tour of Downes House, Crediton EX17 3PL.

It is a Grade II listed property built in 1692 by Moses Gould, a prosperous Exeter merchant. The property is about one mile east of Crediton and is set in rolling parkland with views over the Creedy Valley. Gould’s granddaughter Elizabeth married into the Buller family in 1793, whereupon it became the Buller family seat until it was inherited by Rosemary Parker in 1975 (the mother of the current owner Henry Parker).

The main interest in the house and its museum is placed on General Sir Redvers Buller GCB GCMG VC, who won fame in the Zulu War of 1879 and for relieving Ladysmith from the Boers in 1900 when Commander-in-Chief of British forces. An equestrian bronze statue of him astride his horse Biffin is found close to Exeter College (Exeter). Unveiled in 1905, the statue was paid for by public subscription and is a testament to his former popularity.

The cost of the tour is £10 per person and an extra £11 per person for those wanting to take tea. Booking is essential.

This is a re-scheduling of the event that had to be cancelled in September 2025.