The Gatehouse website record for Dartington Hall

In the civil parish of Dartington. In the historic county of Devon (Modern Authority of Devon, 1974 county of Devon).

House constructed 1388-1399 by John Holland (Half brother of Richard II). It was altered in 1560-1, during C17 and in 1740. A restoration was carried out in 1926-36. Excavations south of the surviving hall range have revealed the remains of three further building ranges, including a free standing stone building of early C14 date. The inner court was constructed in the late C14. A further range was built during the late C14/C15 and a long gallery added in the early C16. These buildings were demolished in circa 1700. The outer court dates from the late C14 and was demolished in the early C19. To the south of the site is a terraced garden, which has been shown by excavation to have been a formal garden of C17 date, laid out with a parterre. The excavations on the site also recovered Roman tile and pottery, which have been interpreted as the possible site of a Roman villa. (PastScape)
Occasional said to be fortified but usually, and convincingly, called undefended; It is possible Holland planed a gatehouse but none was ever built and the entry is a simple gateway, there is no moat, there are only a few token crenellations on the main hall but none on the exterior of the wings. I've rejected this site as undefended but this was a palace of a major magnate, notable for being without defensive features. However, the large lodging ranges would have housed a considerable force of knights (possibly up to 100), as part of the retinue of John Holland, and would have been better defended, during periods of occupation, than most 'fortified' manor house.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SX795634

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's English Heritage (PastScape) Defra or Monument number is 444892
Further information may be available from the holder of the county Historic Environment Record. In particular 'grey' literature, such as watching brief reports, held by H.E.R.s is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded in this website, or elsewhere.

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The bibliography owes much to various bibliographies produced by John Kenyon for the Council for British Archaeology, the Castle Studies Group and others.

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*The listed building may not be the actual medieval building, but a building on the site of, or incorporating fragments of, the described site.