Tale of wreckers at Chambercombe Manor

A captivating tale of wrecking, treachery and tragedy awaits visitors to Chambercombe Manor in Ilfracombe tomorrow (Thursday) and Friday as a company of actors put on a show drawn from its mysterious past. The Call of Chambercombe - A True Story of the No

A captivating tale of wrecking, treachery and tragedy awaits visitors to Chambercombe Manor in Ilfracombe tomorrow (Thursday) and Friday as a company of actors put on a show drawn from its mysterious past.The Call of Chambercombe - A True Story of the North Devon Coast is performed by Gateways Theatre from South Molton and is based on the life and dark deeds of William Oatway, a wrecker who lured ships to grief on the rocky coast and whose family lived at the manor.The drama begins at 7.45pm on both nights and will be played out around the grounds and in the manor's haunted rooms, whose brooding atmosphere provide the perfect setting for the fascinating story of William.One stormy night he wrecks a ship with a young woman on board, with features too broken to recognise, and takes her to the manor. What follows seeds the origins of Chambercombe's grisly legend.Gateways Theatre is funded by the Heritage Lottery and the Arts Councils. Support for the Chambercombe play comes from the lottery and Leader Plus."It's a really interesting story to be working with and you are never sure what is myth and what is fact," said Luke Trebilcock, who plays William Oatway."We aim to do community based theatre, things that give something back to people and retell stories from those areas."The group has been carrying out drama workshops and giving performances for local schools this week, before the public shows tomorrow and Friday. "It's a brilliant show; they do it really well and if this proves successful we'd like to hold more such events here," said Chris Holloway, head guide at the manor.Visitors have been advised to book tickets in advance, available from Tinker Tailor Party Shop and Hairport in Ilfracombe High Street and priced at £5. Or call the manor on (01271) 862624.