Located near the W bank of the River Dart in a wooded valley 2 miles NW of Totnes, Dartington Hall has been described as vying 'for pre-eminence with Haddon Hall and Wingfield Manor in Derbyshire as the most spectacular domestic survival of late medieval England' (Cherry and Pevsner, Devon 309). On an open, low-lying site, not defensive in character (eg, no evidence of a moat or other fortifications).
The extensive buildings still on the site present a harmonious appearance of dark grey local limestone. Behind the modest entrance gateway at the N end stretches the larger of 2 original courtyards, the most extensive in the kingdom extant from the medieval period (245' x 157'). The 2-storey W range is complete, comprising 5 self-contained chambers, each having 4 rooms and an external staircase. The parallel E range, incomplete and much altered, originally extended to the kitchen block at the SE corner.
The S block still contains the great hall separated from the lower solar by a 3-storey porch. Holand's private residential wing was originally adjacent at the upper solar end (now mostly altered or demolished). The late 14th c. kitchen block, still standing, was separate.
Incomplete excavations in 1962 revealed the existence of a smaller irregular courtyard to the S, but only part of the outer wall of the S front remains above ground (Platt, 'Excavations').
A probable performance venue. Although relevant household accounts for the Holand residence at Dartington have not been found, there is plenty of evidence that several generations of the family patronized entertainers who toured in Devon and other counties in the 15th c.
Open to the public at specified times.
1388 Dartington granted by Richard II to his half-brother John de Holand, 13th Earl of Huntingdon. By this date the original house (probably dating from the late 13th c.) was ruinous.
ca. 1388--1400 New hall built on a lavish scale.
1400 Holand beheaded and his estates forfeited to the Crown. His widow, Elizabeth, who was granted Dartington in 1401, probably continued to live at Dartington (Emery, Dartington Hall 36).
1476 Inherited by Sir Thomas St Leger upon the death of his wife Anne, widow of Henry Holand.
1483 Escheated to the Crown on the execution of St Leger.
1487--1509 Granted to Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII, for life, although she probably did not live there.
1525 Granted to Henry Courtenay, 1st Marquess of Exeter, who probably did not use it as a residence.
1539 Reverted to the Crown upon Courtenay's execution. Held from the Crown by a succession of tenants until 1559.
1559 Acquired by Sir Arthur Champernowne in exchange for lands formerly belonging to Polsloe Priory, Devon.
Later 16th c. Major alterations made, including renovation of the windows in the great hall, entrance tower and solar block. Upper solar block mostly reconstructed. W range of outer courtyard modified for farming purposes. Part of S courtyard pulled down and the rest abandoned.
Late 17th c. Buildings around 2nd courtyard demolished.
mid-18th c. W wing substantially remodelled: rooms at the upper end of the great hall renovated, new rooms created on the 1st floor overlooking the courtyard, Venetian-style windows inserted in 1st floor of solar block and staircase hall designed.
1792 Part of E wing front demolished.
1813 Great hall roof taken down.
1846--51 Some repairs to the lower residential block roof, ruinous kitchen and great hall battlements carried out.
Late 19th c. House neglected and decayed. Part of W front converted as a farmhouse.
1925 Purchased by Leonard and Dorothy Elmhirst.
1926--37 Extensive repairs and restoration made under the sensitive direction of William Weir, an architect of the Arts and Crafts school. Weir designed the great hall roof and screen replacement using timbers from the estate.
REED Cambridge 1.25, 34; Devon 30, 77, 85, 88, 90--3, 95--6, 99; Herefordshire/Worcestershire 399, 401; Shropshire 1.139, 141;York 1.66, 69, 71
| Name | Dates | Titles |
|---|---|---|
| Courtenay, Henry | 1498-1539 | 19th Earl of , Knight of the , 1st Marquess of |
| Holand, Henry | 1430-1475 | Knight , 4th Duke of , 15th Earl of |
| Holand, John | 1395-1447 | Knight , Earl of , 14th Earl of , Knight of the , 3rd Duke of |
| Holand, John de | 1350-1400 | Knight , Knight of the Garter , 13th Earl of , 1st Duke of , 16th Earl of |
| Holand, William | 0-0 | Knight |
| Portugal, Beatrice of | 0-1439 | Countess of |
