About Us

Our Strategy

Our Purpose

To create a sustainable future for Poltimore House and Grounds as a focal point for the community, nature and future generations.

Our Vision

We are passionate about bringing Poltimore House back to life as a focal point for the arts, community, innovative businesses, education and wellbeing, valuing its architectural heritage, history and important place in the local landscape.

Our Café, Farmshop and 13 acres of free-to-access Grounds are already major asset for local people and visitors, as well as providing a haven for nature.

Our Strategy

Despite the terrible fire in April 2024, we are working with our stakeholders to create an achievable plan that will bring Poltimore House back to life as a major asset for the community.

But how far should we go in reproducing what was lost? Building a perfect replica is unlikely – but we can create something new and imaginative within the original walls. We’re exploring several exciting options, so it’s a great time to get involved!

Our Purpose

To restore Poltimore House and Grounds for the community, nature and future generations.

Our Vision

We are passionate about the restoration of Poltimore House and Grounds as a focal point for the arts, community, innovative businesses, mental health and wellbeing, and nature, valuing the architectural heritage and important place in the local landscape.

Our Strategy

We are developing a strategy and plan for the continued restoration of the House bringing the hall, saloon, dining room and library back to life, creating an important asset for the community. These restored rooms will generate additional income contributing to further renovation of the House and Grounds. Our 13 acres of Grounds are a major asset for visitors and events, as well as for nature and our local ecosystem.

Things are happening!

Alongside our plans for restoration, we’ve been working hard on several exciting initiatives designed to create a unique destination for the entire community, as well as generating sustainable sources of income to support the restoration of Poltimore House Trust and Grounds.

Branches Café

Our lovely team of volunteers have created a very special place where you can enjoy scrumptious, locally-sourced foods every Saturday and Sunday from 10.00 to 15.30. GF, V and VG options always available – and we love doggies too!

All profits go towards the restoration of Poltimore House & Grounds.

The Farm Shop

Ed and Heather from nearby Martinsfield Farm are two farmers dedicated to producing high quality food in ways that protect the environment.

The Farm Shop offers the most delicious organic meat, seasonal veg and many other locally sourced goodies for you to take home.

And half of the Farmshop’s profits support the Trust’s plans for restoration.

Venue Hire

Looking for a unique venue to hire for your wedding, business events, wellbeing activity or private occasion? We can offer indoor and outdoor spaces, including marquees, to accommodate many types of event. All bookings come with 13 acres of delightful Grounds for your guests to explore.

And we provide brilliant catering too!

Events at Poltimore

From outdoor theatre to craft fairs, music events and fun days, Poltimore House & Grounds offers events for everyone. Keep up to date with our events programme on this website and on social media.

And if you have an idea for an event – we want to hear from you!

A Grounds Strategy

Our 13.6 acres of Grounds are a great place to explore, or just to relax. They’re also a great haven for wildlife, and they’re where we hold many of our amazing events.

We’re working on a Strategy to help balance these different uses, respecting history and biodiversity whilst providing a great experience for all our visitors. Watch this space for developments!

A Coworking Space

Coworking is becoming increasingly popular across the UK – a relaxed place to work where you can also connect with likeminded people in other businesses.

And at Poltimore House & Grounds, we will be offering free parking, a Cafe and 13 acres of Grounds in which you can think through that new challenge or ‘walk and talk’ with a colleague.

We’re working hard to make this happen – watch this space for details!

Making a positive social impact lies at the heart of our purpose, vision and strategy.

Building on our previous track record, we continue to enhance our social impact through partnerships and collaborations with organisations that represent disadvantaged groups in Exeter and beyond, welcoming volunteers and visitors from diverse backgrounds, and identifying and monitoring indicators relating to social impact.

Achieving our vision will involve close collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders including heritage bodies, local authorities and other public agencies, community and environmental organisations, and local people.

How we work together

Poltimore House Trust is a volunteer-led registered charity. Its Board is responsible for developing and delivering a clear vision for the future, as well as building a well governed and financially secure organisation. Our values underpin everything we do.

We aim to offer volunteers a positive, fulfilling and rewarding experience, achieving tangible results and making new friends. We are an inclusive and nurturing organisation in which our volunteers and employees experience friendly and cooperative working relationships, and opportunities for learning and development

Our Values

Inclusive

We are inclusive and welcome everyone as visitors and volunteers. We respect each other and are considerate of our differences, experiences and strengths. We listen and communicate with honesty, kindness and compromise.

Innovative

We are innovative and effective. We experiment, develop and grow to achieve our purpose and vision, learning from the past and being open to new ways of doing things.

Collaborative

We are collaborative and work as a team. We respect each other’s skills and experiences, always seeking to support each other. We focus our efforts towards the achievement of shared goals and objectives, and are accountable to each other for what we do.

Sustainable

We are sustainable. We value people and nature, ensuring that social and environmental impact guide our decision making and are at the core of our strategy.