The gardens were created by Maria ‘Laetitia’ Kempe Homeyard in the late 1920’s and early 1930’s, and were built by Thomas Rider of Southwark, London. They were constructed on the steeply sloping patchwork of fields above the picturesque village of Shaldon in Devon. Mrs Homeyard was the widow of William Newcombe Homeyard, the inventor and manufacturer of Liquafruta cough syrup. The garden she created is an informal terraced arboretum with a level walk along the top providing many glorious views of the Teign estuary and the town of Teignmouth.The disused gardener’s hut is now a regular haunt for bats and swallows, whilst the remains of a rose bower have recently been discovered. The garden also houses a memorial bench and table that Mrs.Homeyard erected in honour of William. There is an on-going programme to restore the garden to its original state, led by the Friends of the Botanical Garden. The friends often volunteer at Homeyard’s and their blog publicises upcoming events, as well as unearthing authentic pictures of the garden in its former glory.