Bug In The System

Many wine drinkers have experienced Covid (horror of horrors - a loss of smell/taste!), but vines went through something far worse in the 1860s when one tiny pest nearly wiped out the world’s vineyards.

Phylloxera Vastatrix is a microscopic aphid that feeds on vine roots, injecting poison that weakens and eventually kills them. Originating in America, where vines have resistance, phylloxera moves incredibly quickly. European vines have absolutely no resistance, and when it was accidentally introduced to France (probably in 1858) vines began dying at a fearsome rate.

By 1860 southern France, Douro and Austria were suffering significant losses, but it wasn’t recognised as a new problem until 1863. Researchers were preoccupied with another vine problem, powdery mildew, and digging up dead vines had provided no indication of a new pest (aphids leave when the plant dies).

Phylloxera spread like wildfire - large swathes of France including Bordeaux were quickly destroyed with massive impact - at the time one third of France’s workforce was reliant on the wine industry! How many Gilets Jaunes would we see if a third of France faced unemployment?

By 1868 phylloxera began

advancing globally. The Agricultural Society in Montpellier commissioned a botanist, Jules-Emile Planchon to unravel the mystery. His breakthrough came when he dug up healthy vines and discovered the microscopic menaces munching on the roots.

Discovery was not a solution. Frenzied activity followed; new chemical treatments and less scientific methods (a toad for every vine for example!). None worked. Planchon knew that American vines grew well in Europe, but a proposal to graft European vines onto American roots appalled French purists. Also many things could go wrong - for example the vines might simply reject one another. Crucially however, wine from native American vines tasted terrible, so something had to be done! When grafting was finally tried the results were almost miraculous. The American roots resisted the phylloxera while grapes grown on grafted-on European vines retained their original character - and the process was easy. The wine trade was back in business. There’s a sting in the tail however. There remains no ‘cure’ for phylloxera - American rootstock still provides resistance, but a mutation could put us back to 1860. Phylloxera has never taken hold in some places - Chile and South Australia in particular - though growers are planting some grafted vines as long-term insurance. Areas such as Washington State and Argentina are intriguing - phylloxera is present but somehow not a major problem. Finally, the Assyrtiko grape from Santorini in Greece has recently been found to be naturally resistant - though it’s not clear whether the grape or the volcanic soil provides protection.

So enjoy your wine, but bear in mind that phylloxera may not be finished with the vine yet!

The Good Lord

In September 1892 (William)

Frederick Smith inherited an estate from his father William Henry Smith, that included the stationery and publishing business and several large properties in London and the Home Counties. In addition a codicil bequeathed a recently acquired ‘sporting estate’ in Devon snootily described by his solicitor as ‘a god-forsaken town called Moretonhampstead and a tract of rough pasture on the edge of Dartmoor.’

Love at first sight

‘Freddy’, who became Viscount Hambleden in 1913, told that story a few years later at an annual tenants’ gathering in Moretonhampstead before hastily adding that of course he and Lady Esther instantly became ‘enamoured’ with their new estate when they came down in 1894 for their honeymoon.

The 6,500 acre estate, spread across the parishes of Moretonhampstead, North Bovey, Manaton, Lustleigh and Bovey Tracey, had been bought from the Earl of Devon who needed to pay off massive gambling debts. As well as the moorland ‘rough pasture’ at Headland Warren - soon sold to the Duchy of Cornwall - it included 46 farms, 1000 acres of woodland, and much of the villages of Manaton, Moretonhampstead and North Bovey together with the advowsons of their churches.

Man of the people

In turn the estate tenants soon became ‘enamoured’ with their new landlord. They had been suffering from low prices, the demise of the local woollen trade and a dramatic decline in their population. Inheriting a strong sense of philanthropy from his father, Lord Hambleden, as he was called locally, immediately cut their rents by 50% and embarked on a programme of rebuilding many of their cob and thatch farm houses and buildings in a distinctive ‘house-style’ of granite with red brick facings and slate rooves. Many farms also acquired semi-detached pairs of farm cottages to save their workers walking to and from the villages each day.

The W H Smith partnership were known for delegating responsibility to trusted employees and the estate was run and improved by a formidable team: Walter Mills, an Oxford architect; Lewis Bearne, a Newton Abbot builder; William Beever, the estate manager and Frank East, a no-nonsense clerk of works deferred to locally as ‘the boss’. New houses were built in the villages with generous gardens, pig sties and let for low rents to the estate workforce such as the (Queen Victoria) Jubilee Cottages by the revamped cattle market (now the lower car park) in Moretonhampstead.

Health service

There had been much concern about the high death rate of Moretonhampstead. Inadequate water supply was a reason but the notoriously ‘factious’ Moretonians could not agree how to improve it. Frank East soon knocked heads together and found a suitable site for a reservoir on land at Hill Farm provided by Lord Hambleden. It remained the main source of clean water for the town until replaced in the 1960s by Fernworthy reservoir. It was turned off at night for 12 hours to conserve the supply!

Another concern had been the lack of local medical facilities with a bumpy ride of 15 miles to the nearest hospital not helping the sick and injured. As patrons of King’s College Hospital and other medical causes , the Smith estate did not hesitate to provide land for an 8-bed hospital. An endowment of £2000 in consols was provided for running expenses as well as some furniture, surgical instruments and a large basket of vegetables each week from his gardens. Medical treatment was provided at little or no cost and covered all the estate villages together with Chagford and Bridford. The locals were expected to play their part; further donations came from local gentry such as the Bowrings and local carnivals while the GPs gave their services free.

Hearts and minds

At the end of the First World war Moretonians were at loggerheads over the form and location of a war memorial. Frank East, who had lost two sons, persuaded Lord Hambleden to provide a site by pulling down the butter market. Again, the locals had to do their bit by paying for the monument unveiled by his lordship in October 1921. The local churches were given highquality make overs, a new rectory in Moretonhampstead and a war memorial lychgate and parish hall in North Bovey.

Finally, a large new Manor House to entertain weekend and shooting parties with landscaped gardens, parkland and lakes was built in 200 acres on the site of Week Farm. It cost £10 million, plus another £250,000 (in today’s prices) for top of the range furnishings. Built to a very high standard in a unique ‘neo-Jacobean meets arts and crafts’ style, it has a Grade II* heritage listing – unusual for a relatively modern building. The Hambledens only came down to it for about 6 weeks each autumn. The locals were often invited to the Hambleden children’s birthday parties; the noble children invariably ‘won’ the races!

‘He was the best friend the estate ever had’

Unfortunately, the estate was broken up and sold in 1928 to pay for death duties of £50 million (in today’s prices) on the sudden passing of Lord Hambleden. The farms, houses and woods went for low prices because of the low rents, often to the tenants but sometimes to outsiders who assumed (wrongly) that the farming must be very profitable because the buildings were so well made and cared for! Great Western Railway bought the Manor House and grounds for only £750,00 (in today’s prices); they turned it into a hotel and golf course resort that is now the 5 star Bovey Castle.

The estate and the 1000-year-old manors had gone but a physical and emotional legacy was left that is still appreciated today. ‘The whole estate mourned his passing’, wrote one tenant, ‘because Lord Hambleden was the best friend it had ever known.’

Bill Hardiman

Chagford, Weeke Down and Meldon Circuit

This walk starts in Chagford and takes you on a sweeping circuit high up above the village along grassy tracks and quiet lanes. You’ll pass by several ancient farmsteads, and there are great views in all directions.

The name Chagford means “the ford where the gorse grows”. The village is home to some 1600 people and dates back to at least Saxon times. It became a Stannary Town in 1305. The last tin mine in the area closed in 1904, and it’s hard to imagine an industrial landscape there today.

From the car park in the central of Chagford, head down the lane past the church which takes you away from the village. Follow this lane behind the new houses for 3/4 mile, until you see a footpath sign on your right pointing up a steep track. Turn off the road onto the ancient track, and then turn immediately left into a field. Follow the obvious path behind a house and uphill through the field, until you see a small gate on your left. Leave the field here, walk downhill into a wood and cross a delightful stream. The path then rises steeply straight ahead and takes you over a stile onto an old drovers’ track. Turn right here and climb uphill, soon following the edge of Week Down. There are good views from here across the valley to Castle Drogo and beyond.

Before crossing the narrow lane at the top of the hill to join another footpath, it’s worth a short detour of 100m to your left along the lane. This takes you to a leaning stone cross, nearly 2 metres high, from where there’s spectacular views north to Exmoor. Retrace your steps back to the new footpath, which is a farm track heading in a southerly direction. After about 200m you will reach a memorial to “Linda 2010” on your left, next to a gate into a field. Pass through the gate, turn immediately right and follow the track ahead through 3 fields. There are a couple of rather fiddly stiles which might be hard work for large dogs!

A panoramic view of the moors soon opens up, and the path eventually descends to a lane. Turn right here and then right again after 100m, following the sign to Batworthy. Stay on the narrow lane past the ancient farm with its cider house and mill until you reach a T Junction. Turn right here, cross a cattle grid and then take a left turn signposted to the fascinating hamlet of Stiniel. Keep straight ahead past several historic buildings, cross the common and turn right onto another lane. Look out for the next right turn into a very rough track (that actually used to be a road!) which climbs steeply uphill through Yellands Farm.

At the top of the hill cross the lane and the track immediately opens out onto Meldon Hill, which is 390m above sea level at its highest point. Keep straight ahead, and after about 30m, take a wide grassy track to your left which goes around right around the side of the hill, before descending onto Chagford Common. An alternative route is to head up straight up and over the summit, but the direct route down from the top is very steep and can be hard to follow. The recommended route around the side of the hill is longer, but the descent is more gradual and it offers some outstanding views. Once again there are amazing views. Once down on the common turn right and follow the path back to the road.

Turn left and you will soon be back in Chagford with its many interesting and varied refreshment options! In the summer months, you really should also take the opportunity to visit the largest river-fed open air swimming pool in the south west, just a mile to the north of the village.

Distance: Approximately 6.5 miles

Difficulty: Moderate, with a few steep climbs up and down Time: 2.5/3 hours

Start point: St Michael the Archangel Church, Chagford.

OS grid reference: 701875

What Three Words: https:// what3words.com/consented. unrealistic.frail

Garolla