Gardens Of Richmond | Belmont House

Architect/s: Unknown (1830).

Builders: Henry and James Buscombe

Perhaps best known for its great wine and wood-fired pizza, Belmont House is a stately property located on the outskirts of Richmond and has sweeping views across the village. Heritage Tasmania describes Belmont House as ‘a sandstone structure with a parapet to the front and sides. The facade is classically proportioned with a central door and French doors either side and three double hung on the upper floor. The stone is smooth faced with string courses. It has farm buildings and landscaping (including established gardens) associated with it.’

Belmont was first commissioned in the early 1830s by Benjamin and Anne Guy and built by the Henry and James Buscombe. The Guy family lived at Belmont until 1856 when Benjamin passed. The impressive colonial sandstone home on acreage did not sell for a prolonged period, with the property remaining in trust for Ann Guy until 1870. When Belmont was finally sold, it held a valuation of £60.

The homestead has since remained true to the Georgian design it was founded on, barring a brief period of adaptions to the facade, which introduced a veranda. This alteration was reverted to its traditional Georgian façade once the Grey family had purchased Belmont in 1971.

In 2003, John and Libby Pooley purchased Belmont for their family. With its proximity to Hobart, dynamic soil profile, and looming hillside, Belmont provided the perfect opportunity for John and Libby to establish a second vineyard in the Coal River Valley to help support the growing demand for their family’s wines.

The original coach house and barn – now Pooley’s Cellar Door – had been converted to sheep yards when the Pooleys purchased Belmont. Butcher’s Hill and the Cellar Door also are heritage listed.

Belmont’s garden and surrounding landscape were lovingly restored and uplifted by John and Libby Pooley with the assistance of Lisa Harper Designs, who transformed the sprawling run-down gardens into a grand display of vibrant colours and gorgeous scents. (https://www.pooleywines.com.au/visit/)

Fun fact! The sandstone from which Richmond village and its famous bridge was built was quarried from the property.

Garden opening times: Saturday 24 & Sunday 25 February 2024, 11 am – 3 pm (Registrations required on entry)

Access: uneven surfaces, garden paths.

Open House Richmond experience: Landscape Designer, Lisa Harper will be in attendance.