Overbecks

Albert Stumbles bought some woodland at the end of the nineteenth century and developed the land for housing. One of the first houses to be built was Sharpitor which was bought by Edric Hopkins; he created a series of terraces below the house. The property was then sold to George Vereker in 1913 who rebuilt the house and continued to develop the garden. After his death, his widow continued to live at Sharpitor until 1928 when she sold the house to Otto Overbeck. A scientist and fellow of the Zoological Society, Society of Arts and the Geological Society, Overbeck filled the garden with sub-tropical plants including eucalyptus, citrus fruit, bananas and Chusan palms. In his Will, Overbeck left the house, contents and garden to either the National Trust or to Salcombe Urban District Council. The National Trust accepted the bequest and today the house is used as a museum and youth hostel while the gardens are open to the public. The house was renamed in Overbeck’s memory.