Paschoe House
In 1613 Daniel Hamlyn married Joan Tuckfield and settled at Paschoe, thus beginning an association with Colebrooke, which was to last over 300 years. In the early 18th century, their importance was such that a faculty was granted to enable the Coplestone Chantry in the church to be known as the Paschoe Aisle. This is why the Hamlyn memorials feature on the north wall. (A faculty in the 1960s saw it become the Coplestone Aisle again.) In 1773 Christopher Hamlyn married Elizabeth, the heiress to the Calmady estates at Leawood, Bridestowe and the family became known as the Calmady-Hamlyns. As time went by, the old house at Paschoe became more challenging to maintain because of dampness, until in 1850, it was pulled down, and the present house was built nearby in a drier position. Mr John Hayward of Exeter designed it. The Calmady-Hamlyns lived in the new house at Paschoe until the early 1870s, when they relocated to Leawood House, Bridestowe. None of the Calmady-Hamlyns ever lived at Paschoe again. In 1873 the Paschoe Estate was advertised as “To be let by Tender”, and, over the next 70 years, the house was occupied by various “professional” tenants. In 1940 Paschoe became “home” for an evacuated school from Hertfordshire. This was the junior section of St George’s, Harpenden, a private co-educational boarding school. Local press said that: “St Georges School Harpenden has taken Paschoe House, Bow, North Devon as evacuation quarters for younger pupils and holiday home for boarders from danger zones.”
The school remained at Paschoe until the spring of 1945 and gave employment to several local people. After the war, Paschoe became a hotel, and in 1946, local papers carried the following advertisement: “Paschoe House Bow, Crediton. Situated in ideal surroundings and especially attractive to those wishing to relax in a friendly atmosphere, dancing every Saturday. Tennis, Billiards and Table Tennis etc. and a meal at any time”. Again this provided local employment. In late 1947 there were further changes at Paschoe as reported in the following advertisement: “Paschoe House, Bow, Crediton, Devon. Under new management. A lovely old house in extensive grounds. Shooting, riding, billiards. Central heating, log fires, constant hot water and farm produce. Elderly people welcome. Special rates for residents.” In late 1949 the hotel closed down and the contents of the house were disposed of by auction the following March. On Friday 20th October 1950 at 2.30 pm at the Rougemont Hotel Exeter, the whole Paschoe Estate, extending to 643 acres, was put up for auction by Rickeard Green & Michelmore on behalf of the Calmady-Hamlyn family, thus ending a Hamlyn connection of almost 350 years. Paschoe House has recently become a hotel again with a fine dining restaurant.
© Neville P. Enderson