Poltimore House is a significant Devon landmark, historically and architecturally. The drawing shows it as it was c.1900. The speculative reconstructions at the bottom of this page show it as it might be, once restored and back to full use.

We are determined to raise the funds to repair this great building, to restore it to the community, and to a future as a new kind of landmark.

Poltimore House has a prominent place in Devon’s culture: one of the great historic estates of the county. For five centuries it was home to the Bampfylde family. In 1921 it became Poltimore College, a girls' school, and in 1939 became the war-time home of Dover College for boys. From 1945 - 1975 Poltimore served as a hospital, first in private hands, later as Exeter's Poltimore Hospital, part of the National Health Service.

Poltimore House today is a sad sight. Since 1975, when sold by the NHS, it has been increasingly neglected and vandalised. Poltimore rapidly slipped into decay. Since 2000, with its acquisition by the Poltimore House Trust with the aid of East Devon District Council, its future has looked more secure. BBC's Restoration programme in 2003 brought Poltimore to national attention.  Even though it won only the competition in the South West, and missed out on the prize money, it attracted a large following of loyal Friends, who formed a separate Charity in 2004 to support the House and its restoration. And in 2005 English Heritage supported the costs of the great scaffold and top hat tin roof to protect it from rain and wind.

Now, with a grant of £500,000 from English Heritage to start the process of renewing the roof, Poltimore looks set to begin the long journey back to life again.

Read more about our plans, do come and visit and get involved.

Poltimore House is now encased in scaffolding, and a vast protective roof is keeping it dry, stabilising its damaged fabric. These three projections show what we might achieve with the restoration of the House. Projections by Simpson and Brown, architects, Edinburgh.

Read about the history of the house, and what we have planned for its future.