Early botanical specimens collected at Cleve House
Cleve House photographed in 2007
© Brian Carpenter
Cleve House, Exwick Lane is now enclosed by development
Flora Devoniensis lists local mosses
By RAMM curatorial team
Some of the earliest recorded specimens of mosses known from South Devon were probably collected at Cleve House. David Bolton, Curator of Natural History at RAMM, believes that Botanist Dr Robert Kaye Greville stayed at Cleve during a visit to Devon in 1819-1820. Dave, who is documenting what is affectionately known in his department as "fasciculus of mosses, 335/2007" says,
Some of the specimens were collected at Cleve, and are listed in Rev JP Jones and JF Kingston's Flora Devoniensis of 1829. This possibly makes them some of the vouchers of the earliest records for S Devon, v.c.3.
Cleve House
At the time Cleve House was described as being near Exeter and commanding outstanding views across the River Exe. More recently the house was known as the regional training centre for Guide Dogs for the Blind.
Flora Devoniensis
Flora Devoniensis was a pioneering publication. It is "a descriptive catalogue of plants growing wild in the county of Devon: arranged both according to the Linnaean and natural systems, with an account of their geographical distribution." (Frontis to the catalogue)
Dr Greville
As well as his scientific studies Dr Greville was active in the abolition of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. Read about another connection with that trade and the neighbourhood of St Thomas on this website here: Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade.