Dartington Hall was acquired by Leonard Elmhirst in 1925/26. Through the recommendations of Oliver Baker, the local architect originally consulted by Elmhirst, the advice of the SPAB and the praise of Lady Sandwich who had spoken about the valuable service done at Tattershall and Bodiam castles, William Weir was appointed architect.
The Hall had been a ruin for 200 years and major work was undertaken to repair it, most notable was the rebuilding of the Great Hall roof which was begun in 1931. Drawings had been made of the dangerously rotten roof before it was dismantled for safety reasons in the early 1800s but the previous owners did not make these drawings available. The outline of the old roof beams was visible in places in the plaster, but Weir was able to design the roof as he saw fit without having to copy what was there before.
Image: Dartington Hall before repair.
