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A historical novel that has Sharpham House at its centre has been published by local author Rev. John Tyler.
Sharpham Spring is set in the first few years of the 20th century, when Oxley Durant Parker inherited the House and estate from his aunt Elizabeth Durant.
Oxley arrived at Sharpham in 1906, with his wife Geraldine and their seven-year-old daughter Katharine, and the novel is set in those first few weeks, seen through the eyes of the child.
Said John: "The situation has remarkable parallels with Fanny Price of 'Mansfield Park', Mary Lennox of 'The Secret Garden' and Maria Merryweather of 'The Little White Horse'; but of course the great difference is that here we have a real location and actual historical characters".
"I have tried to indicate the transformative effect of Sharpham House (still evident in the work of the Trust nearly 120 years later), and the rich resources of wildlife in...the Dart valley," he added.
Devonly father...
As you'll read in extracts below, some of the writing is in a Devon dialect.
"It was a joy to piece together this nearly-lost moment in history – and to record phonetically the Devon speech as [I] heard it in the mid-20th century," said Rev. Tyler.
Relative values
The Rev. John Tyler is Katharine Parker’s godson and his wife is her first cousin once removed (she is also a great niece of Sir Hubert Parry, who features in this book).
John was born and brought up a few miles from Sharpham and has known the Dart for nearly 80 years from its source at Cranmere Pool to Dartmouth.
Even though he has spent his 54 years as an Anglican priest in Somerset, he returns often to South Devon.
The 160-page book has been published in hardback and is illustrated with photos and sketches.
Sharpham Spring is available for sale in Sharpham House, priced £10 or order direct from via Rev Tyler via this email for £12, including post and packing.
