Dunsland facts for kids

Dunsland was a historic estate and a grand house in Devon, England. It was home to several important families over many centuries. The estate likely stayed in the same family line from the time of the Norman Conquest (around 1066) until 1947. Sadly, the house was destroyed by a fire in 1967. This happened just after the National Trust had spent a lot of money restoring it.

History of Dunsland Manor

A place called Donesland is mentioned in the Domesday Book, a famous survey from 1086. It is believed to be Dunsland. Before the Norman Conquest, a person named Wulfric owned it. After the Conquest, it was held by Cadio, who worked for Baldwin the Sheriff.

A historian from the 1600s, Tristram Risdon, wrote that Dunsland was owned by the Cadiho family for eight generations. The last male owner from this family was Robert Cadiho. He left his lands to his daughter, Thomazin. She married John Daubernon, who was an important official and a knight for the county in 1356 or 1357.

Risdon also noted that the manor then passed to the Batten family. Later, it went to Philippa, the daughter of Humphrey Batten. She married into the Arscott family. At the time Risdon was writing, Arthur Arscott owned Dunsland.

Another historian, J. L. Vivian, created a family tree for the Arscotts of Dunsland in 1895. This tree shows that the estate passed through the Cade and Dabarnon families before reaching the Battyn family. Humphry Battyn, who died in 1522, was the last of his line. His daughter Philippa and her husband, John Arscott, inherited the lands. John Arscott was a lawyer.

The estate continued to be passed down through the Arscott family. In 1662, Arthur Arscott died without any sons. The estate eventually went to his second daughter, Grace. She was the widow of William Bickford. Grace Bickford lived until 1686. Her son, Arscott Bickford, inherited Dunsland.

Arscott Bickford, who died in 1693, made the house much bigger and more beautiful. The house mainly dated from about 1500, with parts added in the mid-1500s and in 1609. It became one of the finest houses in North Devon. It stayed almost the same until it was destroyed in 1967.

Arscott Bickford had three wives. His son, William, from his third marriage, took over the estate. William also married three times. When he died in 1740, his son, also named Arscott, inherited Dunsland. This Arscott died in 1771, and his brother George became the owner.

When George died in 1795, his son, another Arscott, inherited the estate. This third Arscott was known for gambling and lost a lot of the family's money. He died in 1817 without children. The estate then passed to his sister, Mary. She was married to Reverend William Holland Coham.

Mary's son, William Bickford Coham, inherited the estate, and then his grandson, William Holland Bickford Coham, took over. The grandson died in 1880 without children. The estate then went to his sister, Augusta. She married Major Harvey Dickinson, who was in the British Indian Army.

Her son, Arscott Harvey Dickinson, was said to be the 29th owner in a direct line. He tried hard to keep the mansion in good repair but couldn't. So, he sold the estate in 1947.

What Happened to the House

A London businessman bought the house and part of its land at an auction. He was mainly interested in the timber (wood) in the forests. Then, an architect named Philip Tilden bought it. He tried to restore the house, but the work was not finished when he died in 1954.

His widow sold the property and 92 acres of land to the National Trust in the same year. The National Trust spent a huge amount of money restoring the house. They then rented it out to people who would look after it.

However, on the night of November 17, 1967, the house was destroyed by a fire. The remaining walls were so unstable that it was decided to pull down the entire structure. The basement was filled with the rubble, and the ground was leveled. Today, the land still belongs to the National Trust. It is kept as a park, and you can still see some parts of the old estate.

Interesting Features at Dunsland

The Dunsland estate has many interesting historical features you can still see:

• The gate pillars to Dunsland House are still standing. They are made of cut stone blocks and are thought to be from the 1600s.
• Cadihos Well is a very old well from the Middle Ages. The Cadiho family owned Dunsland for many years, and the well is named after them.
• You can find the remains of a moat and a fish pond. These were likely used to keep fish for the main house. This area might also be where the original medieval manor house stood before a new one was built in the early Tudor period.
• Even though the main house burned down, the kitchen garden, its wall, and the engine house still remain.
• The Coach House and the old stable also survived the fire that destroyed Dunsland in 1967. The coach house is the largest building still standing on the site.
• An ancient duck decoy pond is still there. These ponds had special nets to catch wild birds. The one at Dunsland is an important historical site.
• Chestnut Avenue is a path lined with several sweet chestnut trees. Some of these trees are incredibly old, possibly 700 years old!