1930s William Lescaze modern house in Dartington Hall, Totnes, Devon
A special piece of modernism has just gone on the market. This 1930s William Lescaze modern house in Dartington Hall, Totnes, Devon.
Special because this grade II-listed house forms part of the largest collection of William Lescaze’s work outside the US.
Covering something like 1,200 acres (including a 26-acre Grade II* listed garden), the Dartington Hall Estate is a historic landed estate in the UK, currently owned and managed by the Dartington Hall Trust, a charitable organisation specialising in the arts and learning.
Back in the 1930s, a collection of buildings by William Lescaze (and others) made Dartington Hall architecturally famous, too, with the constructions featured in magazines and exhibitions, not to mention various travel plans.
Lescaze’s most famous construction here was High Cross House, which was built in 1932 for art establishment patrons Leonard and Dorothy Elmhirst as a home for William Curry, then headmaster of the nearby progressive Dartington Hall School. But it wasn’t his only work on the estate.
Boarding houses and other homes were constructed on Warren Lane. One of which is now available to buy.
A group of these went up for sale back in 2019 (possibly for the first time ever), looking largely empty and in need of turning into family homes. I presume this one was picked up and converted to that very use.
It has now gone on the market once more, offering something the opportunity to own a significant piece of 1930s modernism in a picturesque location. You would struggle to find a better setting.
The architecture is immaculate if you are a fan of the era. Minimal modernism that has aged well, with the added attraction of that wonderful window arrangement. A design like this wouldn’t look out of place in the 21st century. The fact that it is almost 100 years old is hard to comprehend.
When I last saw the houses in 2019, there wasn’t much in terms of original details within, and obviously, that’s still the case today. Someone has moved in and made this their own. But, as you would expect of a grade II-listed building, without undertaking anything radical.
Strip away the finishes and the furnishings, and this is the modern movement house that was constructed all those years ago. If you want to update the kitchen and bathroom, that should be fine. There are plenty of minimal offerings in keeping with the architecture available.
Similarly, you can fit this out with plenty of 1930s modern design, whether that involves a trip to the auction house or buying one of the many reissues of the era. It’s just fine as it is, but if you want to go down the 1930s route, there are still opportunities on that front.
Whatever you do, the layout will be much the same. That’s made up of an entrance hall with storage cupboards, a kitchen/dining room, a study and a sitting room with a door to the rear. On the first floor are two double bedrooms, a single bedroom and a family bathroom.
Note the wall of glazing in the master bedroom, framing the wonderful and uninterrupted views over the parkland. Getting up to that is a selling point in itself.
Opportunities like this rarely come along, so if you like the idea of living here, then you might want to act quickly. This is just on the market with a guide price of £650,000.
Images and details courtesy of Marchand Petit. For more details and to make an enquiry, please visit the website.
