Dartington Hall
Dartington Hall was built in 1388 for the Earl of Huntingdon, John Holand, who was a half brother to Richard II.The beheading of John Holand in 1400, brought on by his part in an unsuccessful rebellian against Henry IV brought a short period of uncertainty to the hall until it was purchsed in 1559 by the Champenowne family. This family lived in the Hall for over 300 years, firmly establishing their name in local history.
Finally, the hall was purchased by Leonard and Dorothy Elmhirst in 1925 from where they based their forward thinking work on rural regeneration. This work led to the establishment of the now famous Dartington glass works. On a more local level, it rejuvanated the Dartington estates, establishing orchards, woodlands, forestry and agriculture using new methods. Also setting up a textile mill and sawmill - advocating sustainable rural industry.
The work started by the Elmhirsts became the Dartington Hall Trust which has charitable status for its works in the arts, and in sustainable development.
