The Scented GardenHollicombe and Preston Sensory Garden

Among the many community projects undertaken by Torbay Civic Society over the past fifty years, few have demonstrated the Society's commitment to improving the lives of local residents quite as effectively as the creation of the Hollicombe Scented Garden and the Preston Sensory Garden. Their story spans more than four decades and reflects determination, partnership and a willingness to overcome unexpected challenges.

The story began in 1980, when Ena Hocking, then Chairman of Torbay Civic Society, proposed a lasting project to commemorate the forthcoming International Year of Disabled Persons in 1981. Rather than erecting a monument or plaque alone, the Society wanted to create something that people could enjoy every day.

Working closely with Torbay Council, permission was obtained to establish a scented garden within the lower gardens at Hollicombe, alongside the popular pathway leading towards Preston. Council gardeners created an attractive planting scheme featuring scented flowers, shrubs and herbs chosen specifically so that blind and partially sighted visitors could appreciate the garden through fragrance and touch throughout the seasons.

The garden quickly became appreciated not only by its intended users but by everyone passing through Hollicombe, providing a peaceful and colourful stopping place where visitors could experience nature in a different way. To commemorate the project, Ena Hocking arranged for a small stainless-steel plaque to be mounted on a stone, simply recording that the Scented Garden had been donated by Torbay Civic Society during the Year of the Disabled in 1981. Although modest, it marked one of the Society's first major public landscape projects, and for more than twenty years the garden flourished, becoming a familiar feature within Hollicombe Park.

Following Ian Handford's election as Chairman in 2001, circumstances changed dramatically. South West Water announced major engineering works to install a new sewer through Hollicombe, and at the same time Torbay Council secured Government funding to create a new cycle route across the park. Although both projects brought significant infrastructure improvements, they unfortunately resulted in the complete destruction of the original scented garden.

Rather than accepting the loss, Torbay Civic Society entered into discussions with both South West Water and Torbay Council. Those negotiations produced an imaginative solution that would ultimately benefit the community far more than simply replacing what had been lost: it was agreed that South West Water would help fund a completely new sensory garden at Preston House Gardens, adjacent to Preston public car park and close to the Society's Golden Jubilee Maritime Sundial, while, once engineering works at Hollicombe had been completed, the original scented garden would also be recreated.

The Preston project became much more ambitious than the original Hollicombe scheme. Extending along the entire west-facing border of the gardens, it incorporated around three hundred carefully selected shrubs, grasses, bulbs and perennial plants chosen specifically for their scent, texture and seasonal interest. Designed at raised level wherever possible, the planting enabled visitors to experience the garden comfortably through smell and touch. The completed garden represented a successful partnership between Torbay Civic Society, South West Water and Torbay Council.

The official opening took place in November 2005, when the Vice-Chairman of Torbay Council, Councillor John Dunn, formally unveiled the new sensory garden before a large gathering of Society members, invited guests and members of the public. Following speeches describing the development of the project, everyone gathered for refreshments nearby, celebrating what had become an outstanding example of civic cooperation. Rather than installing a traditional Blue Plaque, a specially designed stainless-steel information plate was mounted explaining the origins and purpose of the garden, ensuring future visitors would understand why it had been created.

The Society's commitment to Hollicombe itself never diminished. Once South West Water's engineering works had been completed and the new pathway finished, work began on restoring the original scented garden. With valuable assistance from the charity Pluss Working, new planting was established, and Hollicombe once again became home to a garden dedicated to sensory enjoyment.

An unexpected opportunity arose several years later. In 2019, Torbay Council secured Section 106 funding to replace the Agatha Christie Blue Plaque at Barton Road with a much larger granite memorial. The original granite block, although no longer suitable for its former purpose, was still perfectly capable of carrying a standard plaque. Rather than allowing the stone to be discarded, Ian Handford suggested it could provide the perfect permanent marker for the restored Hollicombe Scented Garden. With the assistance of DJC Stonemasons of Kingskerswell, the granite was transported to Hollicombe, where it replaced the ageing stainless-steel marker, providing a far more substantial and dignified memorial. Ironically, the official unveiling could not take place as originally intended: because of Covid-19 restrictions during 2020, attendance was limited to only the stonemason, Ian Handford and Society member Roger Hayford, making what should have been a public celebration a remarkably quiet occasion.

Today, visitors to Preston House Gardens can still enjoy the sensory garden established through the partnership with South West Water and Torbay Council, while Hollicombe continues to benefit from the restored scented garden that first began as Ena Hocking's inspired idea over forty years ago.

Together these gardens represent far more than attractive public spaces. They demonstrate how determination, cooperation and civic pride can transform setbacks into lasting achievements. From a simple proposal to commemorate the International Year of Disabled Persons in 1981 grew two permanent public gardens that continue to enrich the lives of residents and visitors alike.

The story also illustrates the wider philosophy of Torbay Civic Society: protecting heritage is not solely about preserving historic buildings and monuments, but also about creating places that improve the quality of life for future generations. The Hollicombe Scented Garden and Preston Sensory Garden remain living examples of that vision, continuing to provide beauty, accessibility and enjoyment for everyone who visits them.