Castle Drogo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Castle Drogo
"Drogo does not pretend to be a castle. It is a castle..."
Type	House/castle
Location	Drewsteignton, Devon, England
Built	1911–1930
Built for	Julius Drewe
Architect	Edwin Lutyens
Governing body	National Trust
Listed Building – Grade I
Official name: Castle Drogo
Designated	20 February 1952
Reference no.	1106086
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Castle Drogo is a special country house that looks like a castle, found near Drewsteignton, Devon, England. It was built between 1911 and 1930, making it the very last castle ever constructed in England!

A very successful businessman named Julius Drewe had it built. He was the founder of a big chain of shops called Home and Colonial Stores. Julius chose this spot because he believed his old family members, the "Drogo de Teigne" family, used to own land there. He hired a famous architect, Edwin Lutyens, to design his dream castle. Even though Lutyens wasn't sure about building a castle, he created one of his best buildings. People say it's not just a pretend castle; it's a real one, built from granite on a hill, but in the 20th century!

The National Trust took over Castle Drogo in 1974. It was the first building from the 1900s that the Trust ever owned. The castle is a very important historical building, listed as Grade I. Its beautiful gardens are also special, listed as Grade II*.

History of Castle Drogo

In 1910, Julius Drewe bought a large piece of land near Drewsteignton. He believed he was related to the old Drewe family who once lived there. Julius was born with the name Drew, but he added the "e" later in life.

When he was 18, Julius went to China to buy tea for his uncle's company. Later, in 1878, he came back to England and opened his own tea shop. In 1883, Julius and his partner, John Musker, started the Home and Colonial Trading Association. This company sold teas that Julius chose in India, along with other groceries. By 1903, they had 500 stores!

By the time Julius passed away in 1931, he owned a huge estate. Around 1910, he asked Edwin Lutyens to build him a castle. Julius was 54 years old, but he had lots of energy and money for his new family home. He planned to spend £50,000 on the castle and another £10,000 on the garden. Lutyens actually wished Julius wanted a "delicious lovable house" instead of a castle. But on Julius's 55th birthday, April 4, 1911, the first stone of the castle was laid.

Building the Castle

Building Castle Drogo took many years. The First World War and a tough economic time called the Great Depression caused lots of delays. Also, only a few skilled workers were used. After the first year, only two masons, Cleeve and Dewdney, laid every stone!

Another sad reason for the slow progress was that Julius's son, Adrian, was killed in the war in 1917. After this, Julius and his wife lost some of their excitement for the project. Julius became somewhat unwell. The person in charge of the building work was John Coates Walker, who was very important to the whole project.

Castle Drogo was finally finished in 1930. It ended up being about one-third the size Lutyens had first planned. Julius was able to live in the house from about 1925, but he passed away just a year after it was completed. Experts say Drogo is "one of his finest buildings." It was built at the same time Lutyens was working on buildings in New Delhi, India, so you can see some similar designs.

Castle Drogo Today

After Julius passed away, his wife Frances and their son Basil continued to live at the castle. During World War II (1939–1945), Frances and her daughter Mary used the house as a safe home for babies who lost their homes during the bombings in London.

In 1974, Julius's grandson, Anthony Drewe, and his son, Dr. Christopher Drewe, gave Castle Drogo to the National Trust. They also gave the Trust some nearby land and cottages, along with money to help care for it. As mentioned, it was the first 20th-century building the National Trust ever took care of.

The castle has been going through a big restoration project for several years. A new visitor center, with a shop and café, opened in 2009. In 2011, the National Trust asked the public for money to help pay for the important repair work.

Castle Design

Castle Drogo was the last castle built in England. The castle you see today is only about one-third of what architect Lutyens originally planned. He wanted a much larger building that would cover the whole ridge, forming three sides of a big courtyard.

Julius Drewe decided to make all the walls twice as thick for a more "authentic" feel, which made the costs go up a lot! Before the war, the plan for a western wing was dropped. After the war, when Julius's eldest son passed away, the plans for a huge main hall were also put aside. The space meant for the hall became a crypt chapel instead.

The castle mixes styles from medieval and Tudor castles with more modern, simple designs. One cool feature is how the main staircase wraps around a hidden service staircase. The castle's defensive parts, like its strong walls, are just for show. It also had electricity and lifts from the very beginning, powered by two special machines called turbines in the river below. Castle Drogo is a Grade I listed building, meaning it's very important historically.

Outside the Castle

The castle mainly has a three-story main part. Next to it is a four-story wing where the family lived and where the servants worked.

Inside the Castle

The main part of the castle has four main rooms for guests and family. These include the hall, the library, the dining room, and the drawing room.

Gardens of Castle Drogo

Castle Drogo has a beautiful formal garden. It was designed by Lutyens, with help from George Dillistone for the plants. The garden looks very neat and planned, which is a nice contrast to the wild Dartmoor landscape around it.

In 1915, a famous garden designer named Gertrude Jekyll helped with the plans. Her main job was to design the planting along the path leading up to the castle. The garden is famous for its lovely rhododendrons and magnolias. It also has colorful herbaceous borders, a pretty rose garden, a shrub garden, and a round grass tennis court that's now used for croquet. The gardens are listed as Grade II*, showing their special historical importance.

Images for kids

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  The family crest of Drewe of Castle Drogo.

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  A sculpted lion and family motto above the main entrance of the castle.

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  The chapel and south side of Castle Drogo.