Coleton Fishacre
Coleton Fishacre
Rupert D’Oyly Carte and his wife, Lady Dorothy, adopted a novel approach to holiday house hunting back in the 1920s. They were sailing their yacht between Brixham and Dartmouth and passed pretty Pudcombe Cove; they liked it so much they bought it, along with the land that ascended from it. They then set about the task of building a house there under the guidance of their architect, Oswald Milne, an assistant to Sir Edwin Lutyens.
This was no easy task as the family had not only to build a road to it but also a temporary railway to bring the stone up the steep gradient from the cove to build the house. The house is literally the product of its location - Pudcombe stone was used in its construction.
It was the ultimate holiday house: it had location, location, location! It is in the most sublime spot with a stunning garden that descends to the sea and the Arts and Crafts style house itself is a delight with spacious, light rooms and an attractive Art Deco influenced interior. It exudes a relaxed, hospitable atmosphere. Perhaps this is why as a visitor you feel that it sits very comfortably and invitingly in its surroundings and that if you had received an invitation to weekend with the D’Oyly Cartes at Coleton back in the 20s you would have cleared your diary specially in anticipation of tremendous fun…
The family and their guests spent their weekends doing what they enjoyed most - usually some outdoor pursuit with Cairn terriers and a boisterous Dalmatian in tow. The order of the day included tennis and shooting, riding, fishing or swimming in their own private cove in which they had constructed a concrete pool complete with bathing hut! On Saturdays they would take a turn around the gardens enthusiastically discussing plants and design, drawing great inspiration from the South Cornish gardens they loved to visit on a weekend sail. Their ideas could have been quickly brought to life as they had 6 gardeners as well as willing guests to take a turn at weeding!
In the evenings the house was in party mood, displaying a touch of elegance and luxury. I suspect the D’Oyly Cartes were very accomplished hosts. They were ably assisted by their staff which included a butler, housekeeper, housemaid, cook and chauffeur. Guests would have dressed for dinner, Sir Malcolm Sargent (a frequent guest) might have been at the grand piano and the guests one imagines would have been languidly smoking sobrani cigarettes from holders whilst sipping cocktails in the fabulous salon. The salon is 12 metres long and carpeted in its original design of sea green by the celebrated textile designer of the day, Marion Dorn.
On a visit today as you enter the house it obvious that it must have been the “grand design” of its time. There is much use of limed oak in its doors and furniture and the light fittings are elegantly Art Deco, simple honeycomb glass sheets with decorative tassles. Each of the bedrooms has a basin surrounded by the blue/green tones of recycled glass tiles, which add a sea theme to each room. Indeed, on a visit to Coleton Fishacre you are very aware of its proximity to the sea as it has the most stunning views, one of the most magnificent is from the Gazebo above the quarry.
The garden is very special indeed. This was always inevitable; the D’Oyly Cartes were so keen to start their garden that they were busy planting shelter belts of pine and holm oak and sycamore long before the house was finished. The garden showcases Rupert and Lady Dorothy ‘s particular talents, he loved water features and she enjoyed roses and hydrangeas. As a consequence Coleton Fishacre has a stunning garden with many rare and tropical plants. The special micro climate allows for much exotic planting including succulents from the Canary Isles and tree ferns from New Zealand. The garden is beautiful in every season and, in July, the hydrangeas are particularly lovely. Their billowing swags of rich and pale blue flowers echo the tones of the summer sea.
The summer is a great time to enjoy some very special events in the garden at Coleton Fishacre.
Please note that Coleton Fishacre is open every day during Summer months except Friday.
There is something to please everyone at Coleton Fishacre each summer so make a date in your diary to explore its infinitely exciting possibilities.