Higher Park Lodge in summer, framed by trees, with its gardens and low hedges in front.
Devonport Park, Stoke, Plymouth

A home set within Devonport Park.

The setting gives people room for company, a quieter moment and time outdoors. Come and see how care and daily life work together at Higher Park Lodge.

At a glance
Inside Devonport Park Lift to all three floors Memory lounge with its own patio Gardens Pets by arrangement
The home

A home with space for everyday life.

Higher Park Lodge has a choice of spaces for company, visits and quieter time. The detached house stands within Devonport Park, with a purpose-built extension and a lift to all three floors.

The main lounge looks out towards the park. On the lower ground floor, the memory lounge opens onto a patio, bringing the outdoors close to daily life.

Stoke village is within walking distance, and Plymouth city centre is about a mile and a half away.

Care provided here
Residential care Dementia care Respite & day care End of life care
Higher Park Lodge from the park path, with the flower beds and fountain of Devonport Park in front of it.
Higher Park Lodge seen from the park gardens, with its crest on the central gable and white cast-iron verandahs along both floors.
The building

From park pavilion to care home.

The house has been part of Devonport Park for more than a century. This is its story in brief.

  1. 1858

    The park opens

    Devonport Park opens, the first park created for public recreation in any of Plymouth’s three towns: Plymouth, Devonport and Stonehouse.

  2. 1890s

    The higher park is laid out

    Until the 1890s this upper part of the park was still part of the Dock Lines, the old military defences. It then became part of the park and was laid out as formal gardens.

  3. After 1894

    A pavilion for the park

    A two-storey refreshment pavilion is built here, with ornate cast-iron verandahs and balconies on both floors.

  4. Today

    Higher Park Lodge

    The same building, verandahs and all, is now a residential and dementia care home, with a purpose-built extension and a lift to every floor.

A resident’s room at Higher Park Lodge, with a single bed, a riser recliner chair, wooden furniture and pictures on the walls.
An ensuite wet room with a walk-in shower, a seat, a toilet and a window.
Rooms

Space to make a room their own.

Rooms are spread across three floors, and some have an ensuite wet room. We can show you what is available and discuss which features would help the person feel comfortable.

Personal belongings can make the room feel more like theirs. We can talk through what furniture and familiar things will fit.

“The staff helped me prepare the room, making the bed with my wife’s own colourful bedding and hanging pictures, which she had painted when she was well.”
Chris C, husband of a resident, via carehome.co.uk

The things that make a room feel theirs.

A familiar blanket, photographs or favourite music can help a new room feel more personal. The practical details can be worked through with the team; everything need not arrive at once.

A few things that help

People and memories close by

Photographs can make a new room recognisably theirs.

Music they enjoy

A radio or familiar music can be part of the day.

Comfort from home

Their own blanket or bedding can help the room feel familiar.

A favourite place to sit

Ask us whether their chair or another small piece of furniture will fit.

Clothes they feel comfortable in

Everyday clothes and a few favourites, labelled if possible.

Comfort and confidence on their feet

Well-fitting shoes or slippers, and a dressing gown for quieter hours.

Medicines and health details

We will explain how to bring medicines safely. A current medicines list is helpful.

The things they rely on

Glasses, hearing aids and dentures, with their cases and any spares.

We will go through this with you. There is no need to bring everything at once. Before moving day, ask us about laundry, valuables and anything else on your mind.

Devonport Park

Places to walk to during a visit.

A visit can include a little time outdoors. These are some of the places to see in the park, whether you have five minutes or longer.

The Napier Fountain among planted beds and lawns in Devonport Park on a sunny day.
The Napier FountainPut up in memory of Admiral Sir Charles Napier, and restored in 2011.
The Great War Memorial, a tall stone column topped with a cross, inside iron railings among the trees.
The Great War MemorialUnveiled in 1923, in memory of Devonport people lost in the First World War.
A Victorian gatehouse with a red tiled roof beside the park railings.
The gatehouseA red-roofed lodge by the park gates, worth a look on the way past.

Also in the park

The Rose Garden

Formal beds, with the Sicilian Fountain standing among them.

The Doris Gun

A gun brought back from the Boer War, placed in the park in 1904.

A children’s play area

Worth knowing if grandchildren are coming along on a visit.

A restored park

The park was restored in the 2000s with Heritage Lottery Fund support.

Finding us

Plan your visit to Higher Park Lodge.

Higher Park Lodge

AddressDevonport Park, Stoke, Plymouth, Devon PL1 4BT
NearbyStoke village is within walking distance, and Plymouth city centre is about a mile and a half away.
Getting hereCall ahead and we will tell you the easiest way to reach the front door and where to leave the car.
VisitingCall ahead to arrange a visit. We will make sure someone is available to show you around and answer your questions.

The map is embedded from Google Maps. See our privacy & cookies notice.

Questions that matter on a visit.

A visit should help you understand how someone would be cared for here. These questions can guide the conversation and help you compare homes.

Ask who is on duty at different times, and how the person would get to know them.

Ask what the home can and cannot provide, and how you would be told.

Ask how care draws on the person’s interests and relationships, and how support changes with their needs.

Ask what is charged separately and how fees are reviewed.

Every care home in England has one. Ask what has changed since it was written. Ours is below.

Inspection

Independent inspection information.

The Care Quality Commission independently inspects care homes in England. Higher Park Lodge’s latest report was published in April 2026; the ratings are shown below and the full report is available on the CQC website.

The ratings below were given under the home’s previous management. The current team is working through a programme of improvements across the home, and we are glad to talk through what has changed and what is still in progress.

Care Quality Commission
  • SafeRequires improvement
  • EffectiveRequires improvement
  • CaringRequires improvement
  • ResponsiveRequires improvement
  • Well-ledRequires improvement
Overall rating: Requires improvement From the Commission’s report published 16 April 2026.
Read the full report on the Commission’s website, cqc.org.uk

Come and get to know Higher Park Lodge.

Visit with a relative or friend, look around the home and ask the questions that matter to you. There is no expectation to decide on the day.