A village fete held in the grounds of a local manor house saw beautiful weather help raise £4,500.

The Holbeton Village fete at Mothecombe House took place in the house’s famous gardens.

Many of the more than 350 visitors were making their first trip to Mothecombe, having heard the gardens described on Radio Devon the previous Sunday. The old cherry and magnolia trees enabled people to relax in the shade as they enjoyed barbecued burgers and Lebanese chicken and coriander flat breads, washed down by glasses of very English iced elderflower and Pimm’s.

While adults chatted with friends or explored the gardens to the strains of music from the walled gardens, children enjoyed the pig bowling alley, golf, face painting and woodlouse racing. Meanwhile ice creams, Grand Marnier crepes and traditional stalls in the walled garden attracted the interest of other visitors.

Many brought their swimming costumes, and headed down through the gardens to spend the late afternoon on Mothecombe beach.

Thanks to some great prizes, a draw contributed more than £1,100 to the £4,500 raised for Holbeton Primary School, church and preschool.