DARTINGTON HALL
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The site on which Dartington Hall stands has been continuously occupied for well over a thousand years.
Written records do not begin until the thirteenth century, but there is evidence of considerable activity in the area during the Roman occupation and the manor of Dartington is mentioned in a Royal Charter of 833 AD.
In 1348 the manor reverted to the Crown, and in 1384 Richard II granted it to his half-brother John Holand. During the following two decades he made Dartington Hall into a great country house.
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After John Holand was beheaded it stayed in the Holand family — going to John Holand II, Earl of Huntingdon and Third Duke of Exeter (whose active service included the Battle of Agincourt).
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1400-1447 Henry Holand, Fourth Duke of Exeter, (who, returning from an invasion of France, drowned between Calais and Dover. A leading supporter of the Lancastrian cause, it was possibly at the order of Edward IV)
1447-1475. The Hall then passed through Holand’s widow to her second husband, Sir Thomas St Leger, (executed at Exeter for his part in a rising against Richard III).
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1476-1483. It then passed to the Crown to be held by a succession of owners and tenants. For short periods it became the property of two of Henry VIII’s wives, the Catherines Howard and Parr.
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In 1559 the Champernownes, a Devon family well connected during Elizabethan times, purchased the estate. Dartington was to remain theirs for the next three hundred years. Their wealth and influence dwindled until the agricultural depression in the nineteenth century all but robbed them of a livelihood. At the beginning of the 20th century they were forced to sell much of their land, and in 1925 the remaining 800-acre estate was bought by Dorothy & Leonard Elmhirst, to become the basis of their joint venture in rural regeneration.
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Directions
Dartington Hall is located 1½ miles from Totnes in the heart of South Devon known as the South Hams, renowned for its beautiful countryside, picturesque villages and mild climate.
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Dartington Hall
Totnes
Devon TQ9 6EL
United Kingdom
Telephone 01803 847000
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Dartington Hall by Air:-
Exeter International Airport (www.flybe.com) is the nearest airport. Alternatively Bristol Airport is approx. 1hr 30 mins and London Heathrow 2hrs 45 mins from Exeter.
Dartington Hall by Car:-
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From Exeter the M5 becomes the A38. The road then divides, left to Torbay or straight on to Plymouth. Take the Plymouth (A38) road. After passing the two slip roads to Ashburton take the next exit, signed to Totnes, Dartmouth and Kingsbridge. Turn left onto the A384 and follow signs to Totnes. After approximately 4 miles, you will enter the village of Dartington. Shortly after the village sign, turn left at Dartington Church and follow this road for 1 mile. The main car park is on the left, below the over-spill car park. The entrance to the courtyard is directly opposite the main car park. Space studios are 50 yards down the hill on the right.
Dartington Hall by Rail:-
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The nearest rail station is at Totnes (on the main London Paddington – Penzance line), approximately 1½ miles from Dartington Hall (approx. 35 min walk/10 min taxi ride). There is a level footpath to Dartington Hall directly from the station which travels alongside the River Dart for ¾ mile and meets with the Dartington Hall drive. Turn right here and walk the remaining ¾ mile along the drive. There is a taxi rank at Totnes Station.