Couverture souple

ISBN 10 : 1843594021 ISBN 13 : 9781843594024

Editeur : The History Press, 2012

Coleton Fishacre was the weekend retreat of opera and hospitality impresario Rupert D'Oyly Carte, son of Richard, whose family company gave us the hugely popular operettas of Gilbert and Sullivan and who owned both the Art Deco-furnished Savoy and Claridge's hotels in London. In the 1920s, Rupert and Lady Dorothy D'Oyly Carte were sailing along the south Devon coast. Looking for a country retreat, they were inspired to make this beautiful valley running down to the sea the site for an elegant home where they could entertain in style and indulge in their passion for the outdoors. Designed and built by Oswald Milne and inspired by the Arts & Crafts movement, a former assistant to architect Edwin Lutyens, the house was built using local materials including stone quarried from the garden. It was the ideal location for relaxation, outdoor pursuits, and entertaining. Among the many weekend guests were the conductor Sir Malcolm Sargent and the painter Charles Ricketts. Visitors would take part in bridge parties, shooting, fishing, sailing, and spending time in Pudcombe Cove, a private beach at the bottom of the garden. It's magical setting, a 12-hectare (30 acre) garden, offers enticing glimpses out to sea, paths through tranquil glades, and tender plants from the Mediterranean, South Africa, and New Zealand. This most evocative of holiday homes, building in the Arts & Crafts style, is imbued with 1920s elegance and an atmosphere of relaxed sophistication, still with all the appeal that first attracted Rupert to build it. This guide explores the Art Deco interiors of the house, life above and below stairs, the magnificent garden and terraces leading to the sea. It details the planning and planting of the garden, accompanied by bird's eye view maps and house floor plans and stunning color photography.

About the Author :

Author Josephine Moore has worked for the National Trust as a curator for many years in both Devon and Cornwall. She has extensive experience of looking after historic properties and their collections of all shapes and sizes.