Set deep into the heart of Dartmoor, often impassable in the winter months, Castle Drogo boast a few lasts; the last Castle to be built in England, the last building to be built entirely from granite. It was also the first 20th century building to be donated to the National Trust- this happened in the late 1970s.
From the outset, it was an ambitious build, using all the latest equipment available. Mr Julius Drewe commissioned the build. Having made his money from the tea industry and founding the Home & Colonial stores (now part of the Morrisons group), he was able to retire at the early age of 33. Being obsessed as to where his family had come from, Mr Drewe hired a genealogist who discovered that Drogo de Teigne, a Norman Baron, had come to the area centuries previously. As Drogo is the latinised form of Drewe (Mr Drewe had previously added the ‘e’ to the end of his name in an attempt to make the family name seem older) and the nearby village was named ‘Drewsteignton’, a connection was assumed between the two and Mr Drewe became convinced that he was a descendent of this Norman knight.
In an attempt to further the connection, Drewe donated vast sums of money for the restoration of the pub in Drewsteignton and even had it named ‘The Drewe Arms’. Unfortunately, later research has rendered this discovery false and there is, in fact, no connection between Mr Drewe and Drogo de Teigne.
Edwin Lutyens, designer of the cenotaph was hired as the chief architect. Although having advised Mr Drewe that a country house would be much more appropriate for such a bleak environment, Mr Drewe was convinced that he needed a castle built in the kind of style reminiscent of days past and many generations ago. The result is windows being placed inside to imitate later additions and a mix of various architectural styles. As a result of this, the ‘modern’ castle boasts a lot of modern equipment such as a shower with a number of settings and a refrigerator.
Unfortunately, due to the modern techniques used at the time, the roof and windows have leaked since the outset. This means that castle Drogo is in the middle of an £11 million restoration project to repair the windows and roof. It is currently still open to the public but in a way in which is different from any other property. There are temporary interpretations by various artists and companies. Perhaps my favourite of these is in the tapestry room (formerly the dining room).
In pride of place in the centre of the room, hangs ‘Le Char De Triomphe’ tapestry. It was acquired by Mr Drewe when he bought Wadhurst Hall (now demolished) in Sussex from a Spanish Family of bankers whom had gone bankrupt. Having been left flapping in the wind near the great hall for years and years, it was only discovered during the renovation works that this tapestry was incredibly rare and one of only a few left in the entire world. Created in 1693, it is a portiere. created for covering doorways and is originally thought to have hung in the palace of Versailles. It is meant to depict Loyis XIV’s military victories.
This National Trust property is open daily between 9:30- 5:30 with the grounds open for walks from dawn to dusk. An adult is £9.60 and it is free for national trust members.
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