The House goes back to the time of William the Conqueror and was given to one of William’s returning soldiers, Richard de Filleigh. Richard had used his shield to save William from arrows on three occasions, and for this reason he was called Fortescue (Fort = Strong, Escue = Shield) and Buckland House was built in the shape of an F.

The original House burnt down in 1790 and the only room saved was the white panelled sitting room. The House was rebuilt in 1810 at great expense (£40,000 at that time), but due to heavy losses over faulty contracts for the sale of timber, the estate (5,000 acres) went bankrupt and in 1880 was sold to the family of William Browne. He was an early settler in South Australia and farmed over a million acres with sheep for wool production.

In 1942 after two generations, ownership passed to a nephew Captain Percy Browne who lived at Glebe Farm.  He was going to move into the house but following a tragic riding accident to his newly wedded wife who was killed he divided the 3000 acre estate into 27 lots and sold everything.  The House then became Buckland House School. In 1984 the school closed and was sold by Max Williams, who lives in Bideford, to Mr Synyard who lived here for six years.

The property was then sold to an Adventure Centre, which went bankrupt in 1996 after the Lyme Bay boating disaster in Dorset.  The present owners Ralph and Suzanne Nicholson have converted the school back into the House as it now stands.  They live next door in the Coach House.

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