Fyne Court
Encyclopedia
Fyne Court is a National Trust
-owned nature reserve
and visitor centre in Broomfield
, Somerset
, England.
The nature reserve is set in parkland which was originally the pleasure grounds of a large house belonging to pioneer 19th-century electrician, Andrew Crosse
, whose family had owned the house from its construction. The house burnt down in 1898. His laboratory table on which he carried out experiments stands in the aisle of the Church of St. Mary and All Saints in Broomfield
and an obelisk
in his memory is in the churchyard.
Fyne Court has been in the ownership of the National Trust since 1967 and was used as the headquarters of the Somerset Wildlife Trust
. The Quantock Hills
AONB Service have their headquarters in the grounds.
Much of the landscaping, including an arboretum created laid out in 1780, has become overgrown and now provides varied habitats including broadleaved woodland, ponds and meadows grazed by highland cattle. The site is home to over 100 species of fungi and some rare invertebrates.
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
-owned nature reserve
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
and visitor centre in Broomfield
Broomfield, Somerset
Broomfield is a village and civil parish in the Sedgemoor district of Somerset, England, situated about five miles north of Taunton. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 224....
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, England.
The nature reserve is set in parkland which was originally the pleasure grounds of a large house belonging to pioneer 19th-century electrician, Andrew Crosse
Andrew Crosse
Andrew Crosse was a British amateur scientist who was born and died at Fyne Court, Broomfield, Somerset. Crosse was an early pioneer and experimenter in the use of electricity and one of the last of the 'gentlemen scientists'...
, whose family had owned the house from its construction. The house burnt down in 1898. His laboratory table on which he carried out experiments stands in the aisle of the Church of St. Mary and All Saints in Broomfield
Church of St Mary & All Saints, Broomfield
The Church of St Mary & All Saints in Broomfield, Somerset, England was built in the 15th and 16th centuries and has been designated as a Grade I listed building....
and an obelisk
Obelisk
An obelisk is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top, and is said to resemble a petrified ray of the sun-disk. A pair of obelisks usually stood in front of a pylon...
in his memory is in the churchyard.
Fyne Court has been in the ownership of the National Trust since 1967 and was used as the headquarters of the Somerset Wildlife Trust
Somerset Wildlife Trust
Somerset Wildlife Trust is a wildlife trust covering the county of Somerset, England.The trust, which was established in 1964, aims to safeguard the county's wildlife and wild places for this and future generations and manages almost 80 nature reserves. Examples include Fyne Court, Westhay Moor,...
. The Quantock Hills
Quantock Hills
The Quantock Hills is a range of hills west of Bridgwater in Somerset, England. The Quantock Hills were England’s first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty being designated in 1956 and consists of large amounts of heathland, oak woodlands, ancient parklands and agricultural land.The hills run from...
AONB Service have their headquarters in the grounds.
Much of the landscaping, including an arboretum created laid out in 1780, has become overgrown and now provides varied habitats including broadleaved woodland, ponds and meadows grazed by highland cattle. The site is home to over 100 species of fungi and some rare invertebrates.