The great Langdon Court Estate sale
On 8 October 1927, the Bournemouth Times and Directory reported on the recent sale of the Langdon Court Estate, one of the largest land sales in the Wembury area for many years.
The auction itself had taken place on 24 September at the Royal Hotel in Plymouth, where nearly 400 people crowded into the ballroom. The sale was conducted by Messrs Fox and Sons of Bournemouth, in association with Messrs Viner, Carew and Co. of Plymouth.
Bidding was brisk. By the end of the auction, 54 lots had changed hands for a total of £44,031 — a very substantial sum in 1927.
Among the principal properties sold was West Wembury Farm, comprising 159 acres, which realised £4,700. Other holdings included Langdon Barton Farm, Mount Pleasant, Train Farm, East Barton, Taylors Farm and Princes Farm, together with more than 100 acres of cliff land.
The sale also included some familiar local landmarks. There was strong competition for the Jubilee Inn, while the New Inn was also sold. Most strikingly, the report records the sale of the Mewstone, described as having only a few acres above water and lying about half a mile from the mainland. It went to an Exeter bidder for £500.
There was also something rather encouraging in the way the smaller properties changed hands. The newspaper noted that most of the cottages fetched excellent prices and, in nearly every case, were bought by their existing tenants or by friends of the tenants.
So the breakup of the Langdon Court Estate was not simply a transfer of land between wealthy investors. For some local families, it may have represented the first opportunity to own the cottage or smallholding they had previously rented.
The sale marked a significant moment in the history of the old estate. Land which had for generations been controlled as one large holding was being broken into farms, cottages and individual properties — helping shape the pattern of ownership around Wembury that followed.
Source: Bournemouth Times and Directory, Saturday 8 October 1927.
On This Day in Wembury
8 October 1998 — “Real ales, real food” at the Odd Wheel
On this day Plymouth Extra carried an advert for The Odd Wheel, Wembury: real ales and real food, traditional Sunday lunch, and traditional jazz every Thursday, with the pub’s phone numbers for bookings. It captures a late-90s snapshot of the village local selling itself on hearty food and live music.
The Odd Wheel’s story goes back centuries. Records show it began as The Old Inn and then as The Jubilee Inn from 1810 in honour of King George III’s Golden Jubilee. In the later 20th century it took the Odd Wheel name. Today it remains open on Knighton Road, trading as a family and dog-friendly country pub with regular food service and well-reviewed menus. Recent listings and reviews describe a refurbished pub offering cask ales and popular dishes, with many diners praising the food.
Source: Plymouth Extra, 8 October 1998 (advert for The Odd Wheel, Wembury).
Additional history and current status drawn from the pub’s site and local history sources.
Entries are summaries and interpretations of historical newspaper reports.