Did you know that Devon plays host to the very last castle to be built in England?
Situated on top of a hill near the pretty village of Drewsteignton, the construction of Castle Drogo started in 1911 but was not completed until 1930. It was built by Julius Drewe, who chose the site as he believed it formed part of the land held by his supposed ancestor, the Norman baron, Drogo de Teigne. The castle was designed by the well-known architect, Edwin Lutyens, best-known for the Cenotaph on London’s Whitehall. Although Lutyens was not keen on the idea of a castle, Drogo is widely acknowledged to be one of his finest buildings, and there are many similarities between it and his work in New Delhi, much of which was completed at around the same time.
The castle as we see it today represents only about one-third of the building originally drawn up by Lutyens. Early plans were to construct a three-sided courtyard, including a great hall, running the entire length of the ridge upon which Castle Drogo sits. However, spiralling costs and delays caused by the outbreak of the First World War meant that the project was scaled back considerably, and only the eastern wing was ever built. The dramatic architecture draws on styles from the mediaeval and Tudor periods and combines these with more contemporary elements. The exterior, built from local granite, has an austere appearance; the entrance tower is complete with two octagonal turrets and a genuine portcullis. However, the interiors are comfortable and reflect the family home that the castle once was. Many of the objects contained in the castle’s collections have a direct connection with the Drewe family and include several pieces of furniture designed by Lutyens specifically for use in the building.
The castle, which is Grade I listed, was donated to the National Trust in 1974 and was the first 20th century building to be acquired by the Trust. The gardens, parts of which were designed by Gertrude Jekyll, have their own separate Grade II listing. They are particularly noted for their rhododendron and magnolia collections, with other highlights including a rose garden and herbaceous borders. Nowadays, the circular grass tennis court is used for croquet. As well as the house and garden, the grounds of Castle Drogo are open to visitors and offer miles of wonderful woodland walks through the Teign Gorge, with its spectacular views across the rolling Devon countryside to Dartmoor. You can descend the valley and follow the river Teign, where the Salmon Pool Leaps are noted as one of the best wild swimming locations in the country. Admission to the grounds and visitor facilities, which include a shop, café and accessible toilets, is free, although there is a charge for parking. For more information about charges and opening times for the house and garden, please visit the National Trust website.
Castle Drogo has recently undergone an eight-year programme of extensive repairs and refurbishment, and is now watertight for the first time ever! This work, without which the building would eventually have been lost, should see the castle safely standing for many more years to come.
