Lot Essay
The medieval Dartington Hall was built by John Holland, 1st Earl of Huntingdon and Earl of Exeter (c.1352 - 1400) between 1388 and 1400. The estate was later seized by the Crown and in 1559 it was acquired by Sir Arthur Champernowne, Vice-Admiral of the West. In 1925, the hall was mostly derelict and was bought by Leonard and Dorothy Elmhirst, who renovated the buildings and established the Dartington Hall Trust to run the estate.