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Summary

Mansion built by Col. John Chichester in 1820-3, replacing an earlier manor house(s) which stood nearer the churhc. The north wing was added and the hall enlarged in 1865. The estate was bequeathed to the National Trust in 1949.

Location

Protected Status

• Registered Park or Garden (II*) 1000687: ARLINGTON COURT
• Listed Building (II*) 1106817: ARLINGTON COURT

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS64SW/19
• Old Listed Building Ref (II*)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• MANOR HOUSE (Built, XIX - 1820 AD to 1865 AD (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

'Arlington Court Remains of a Mansion' is marked on the First Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch map.

Ordnance Survey, 1905, 10NW (Cartographic). SDV322055.

'Arlington Court remains of mansion' marked on the Second Edition Ordnance Survey 6 inch map.

Anonymous, 1928, Proceedings at the Sixty-seventh Annual Meeting, 30 (Article in Serial). SDV339251.

Arlington Court is 18th century with a fine staircase, near the site of a pre-16th century manor house.

Pevsner, N., 1952, The Buildings of England: North Devon, 40 (Monograph). SDV336196.

The present house was designed by Thos. Lee. Severe facade. One-storey doric porch. Lavish interior, ornamental painted ceilings.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1953, SS64SW1 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV339250.

Old manor house of Raleigh family, enlarged when it became residence of Amyas Chichester 1512-1577 AD. House stood on south side of church and commanded fine view of Yeo Valley. That house was demolished in 1790 and replaced by a large one which was pulled down in 1820, and the present house was built in 1823, which incorporates no remains of the former building. Now property of National Trust.

Department of Environment, 1960, Barnstaple RD, 1 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV337219.

Impett, R. M., 1981, Arlington Court, Devon (Ground Photograph). SDV339255.

National Trust, 1984, Arlington Court, Devon (Report - Survey). SDV337709.

The hall is the only room to have been substantially altered, being enlarged in 1865.

Department of Environment, 1987, Arlington, 3 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV337040.

Country house. Main range 1820 by Thomas Lee of Barnstaple, the staircase hall altered and rear wing added in 1865. Main range of two storeys with basement service rooms. Rear wings 2 storeys. French windows. Arlington Court was built and owned by the Chichester family until 1949, when it was bequeathed to the National Trust whose guide gives a full description of the building. The house has been upgraded to Grade II* and many more features have been recorded in the new DoE list.

National Trust, 1994, Archaeological Site Monitoring Surveillance Report. Arlington Court (Report - non-specific). SDV337721.

Subject of repairs early in the year.

Gray, T., 1995, The Garden History of Devon: An Illustrated Guide to Sources, 34-35 (Monograph). SDV671.

English Heritage, 2003, Arlington Court, Devon (Register of Parks and Gardens in England). SDV321634.

Lovie, J., 2009, Arlington Court, Devon: Conservation Statement Prepared by Johnathan Lovie for the National Trust (Report - non-specific). SDV352139.

Colonel Chichester occupies a key position in the development of the buildings at Arlington and the designed landscape. In 1790 he remodelled the existing manor house, creating a fashionable late Georgian country house. At the same time, map evidence indicates that he began to remodel the landscape to exploit its natural picturesque qualities. The subsequent construction of the new house in 1820 on a fresh site marks a further development of this process, and at the same time Chichester’s choice of architect, Thomas Lee (1794-1834) , and architectural style influenced by Sir John Soane marks him out as a man of sophisticated aesthetic taste.
Sir John Chichester and his son, Sir Bruce (1842-1881) effectively completed and consolidated the work begun by the Colonel, by improving the service quarters, building new stables, and improving the Home Farm and other properties on the Estate. During their ownership, Arlington appears to have functioned as a model nineteenth century Estate.
By 1949, when they came into ownership of the National Trust, the buildings had declined significantly from their late nineteenth century heyday. The Trust was forced to demolish Sir Bruce’s dining room in order to deal with dry rot.

Berry, N., 2011, Arlington Court, Devon. Archaeological and Historic Landscape Survey of the Arlington Estate (Report - Survey). SDV348171.

Mansion built by Col. John Chichester in 1820-3. The north wing was added and the hall enlarged in 1865. The estate was bequeathed to the National Trust in 1949. See report for full history of the estate.

Ordnance Survey, 2019, MasterMap 2019 (Cartographic). SDV362729.

Historic England, 2019, National Heritage List for England, 1106817 (National Heritage List for England). SDV362730.

Country House. Main range 1820 by Thomas Lee of Barnstaple, the staircase hall altered and rear wing added in 1865. See listing description for full details.
Date first listed: 25th February 1965

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV5579 - Archaeological and Historic Landscape Survey, Arlington Court

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