The last garden visit of 2024 and guided by volunteer Mike King through Dartington Hall’s long and tempestuous history.
In 1326 the Martin family enclosed a 100-acre deer park, still home to fallow deer, then Dartington was granted to Sir John Holand in 1388 by Richard II, his half-brother. A year after Sir John built a hillside manor house he was executed for treason by Henry IV. History then repeated itself with the estate passing between grants from the crown and owners eliminated by later monarchs until 1559; when Sir Arthur Champernowne purchased the hall. Sir Aurthur’s successors became impoverished and by 1840 it was an agricultural estate, with some of the medieval structures serving as farm buildings, which is how the Elmhirst’s purchased it in 1925: the hall roof collapsed and its courtyard covered by detritus. Leonard, an agronomist and Dorothy, a widowed heiress, had the means to turn the dilapidated estate into a home and restoration of the hall was completed in 1938, under supervision of William Weir.
The Dartington Hall Trust was established promoting experimental rural reconstruction, farming and progressive education. The Elmhirst’s commissioned designs for the gardens around the Hall from H. Avray Tipping in 1927; followed by Beatrix Farrand from 1932, responsible for the oval courtyard; and then Percy Cane advised on garden design, incorporating the outer reaches of the garden until 1968, when Dorothy Elmhirst died.
The 26 acres of grounds with vistas over a historic formal landscape includes a 1,500-year-old yew tree, 400-year-old Spanish sweet chestnuts, and a William Lucombe oak, we have one in Bridport. The original tree was to provide Willy with his coffin, but the boards under his bed had decayed by the time he died, aged 102.
Quince trees and low raised lawns and borders enable passage through the main arch as well as to buildings above.
The courtyard, where a Swamp Cypress holds sway in front of the long medieval west wing, beyond the hall stands with tall stately porch and thickset door, through which lies the grand hall lined with banners, tall windows and restored hammer roof.
The medieval kitchen, with its equally high roof and huge fireplace, leads out to the great lawn and picturesque buildings designed for the children’s use. Originally a school room, the summerhouse became home to a son’s motorcycle maintenance and later a sculptor’s studio. Below and down steps is the playhouse, designed by Beatrix Farrand, overlooking the valley field with the scent of the toffee apple tree. Twisting bankside paths lead to a bronze donkey sculpted by Willi Soukop, a ‘refugee and alien’ who also carved the swan fountain, placed within a dug-up cider press and smothered in manure to incorporate the two forms.
Further south, seventy wide steps lead up and to Henry Moore’s reclining figure. Turning her back on the house, her curves echoing those of the Spanish chestnuts who stand sentry overlooking what seems a grassy weir, as the lawn flows down over terraces to where Sir John Holland’s tiltyard had been. Used also for bear and bull baiting below the 1930 stand of twelve Irish yew apostles, who have lately received a vigorous haircut to prolong life.
The heart of the garden, approached between a broken yew hedge giving view to the valley field, and where the Dutch garden was removed in 1930 to make ready for an open-air theatre and Paul Robson, the activist and actor to rehearse, also a boxing ring during WWII for the billeted.
The wooden garden bridge, reminiscent of medieval bastion machicolations, leads to the 260ft long Sunny Border created by Dorothy. With a six repeated planting in muted blue, yellow and silver, it gave solace to a homesick Guinevere unable to return to the USA during WWII.
To the west of the tiltyard are steps leading up to the swan fountain, azalea dell and holy spring, Totnes having had six medieval hospitals. Further up the wooded hill at the end of the witch hazel walk is Flora, on occasion garlanded with flowers and black nails, marks the site of the Elmhirst’s ashes.
At the end of the woodland walk an English yew given by William the Conqueror stands in 13th century St Mary’s graveyard, whose lonely tower became a communications base during WWII and now thieving jackdaws. For anyone wishing to explore their inner nature before leaving, there is Philip Booth’s 1990 Japanese Meditation Garden.
Many notable people came to the school and college, not least Michael Young despite ‘free schooling’, and Dorothy’s children all went to Cambridge: becoming a communist speech writer for Roosevelt, a racing driver and an actress. By 1987 the school was closed following years of notoriety: one headmaster demanded a Bauhaus house and two cars including a Rolls Royce while some students succumbed to mind blowing alternative realities.
For detailed reading and sight of early photographs I suggest Dartington Hall GARDENS Historical Report but the last words should go to Trix Ferrand who wrote to Dorothy in the 1950’s, ‘once your neck is in the yoke, the happy garden burden will never leave you, and will add joy to each day …’
Photos & Text by Sarah Herring