Derriford

In the additions to Risdon’s Survey of Devon, published in 1811, we learn that Philip Langmead “has lately rebuilt Derriford House, in a magnificent manner”. Langmead had bought the house and estate, together with the Barton of Looseleigh and the estates of Berry and Powisland in Tamerton Foliot, in 1795. Prior to that Derriford had been in the possession of the Herring family, following the marriage of John Bidlake Herring to the daughter of Arthur Pyne, the last male of that branch of the Pyne family, a family which had acquired the seat back in 1682.

Quite who had lived there before that is unclear but it would appear that the most likely explanation of the name is that there was a stream here crossed, or forded, at a point where the land was associated with the family of John Derye (Place Names of Devon), giving us Derye’s ford.

Although the house has long since gone parts of the garden walls and an ornamental pond still survive as reminders of the old estate. Working plans for the Hospital incidentally were drawn up in the late 1960s and in 1974 work started in earnest on the huge modern medical complex.

EH 1 November 1997