T Visitors

DATE: c1927-1980

LEVEL: Series

Trust records relating to visitors to the Dartington Hall estate. Includes books signed by visitors to the Hall, and to the Archive and High Cross House. Also includes maps and a permit pass dating from 1931, basic information about Dartington and departments of the Trust, and correspondence between J V (Vic) Elmhirst and Leonard Elmhirst, as well as with touring groups. Other papers include annual reports on visitors written by estate guides. Also included is the text of talks about the estate, particularly Old Parsonage Farm, that were used by guides. Records after 1946 include statistical information for visitors to the estate and policy papers.

From 1925 and the beginnings of the Dartington Hall experiment, the public took an interest in the activities of the estate. Visiting groups included parties from conferences being held in Torquay and elsewhere in Devon, and also professional societies with an obvious interest in some of the functions of the Trust, often horticulture, forestry and agriculture. A permit system was established during the 1920s, providing visitors with freedom to roam the estate. However it was found that this led to lost work time as visitors were bothering estate employees with questions. During the 1930s, the Dartington Hall estate became a destination for the general public in the southwest of England. By 1936 the estate was receiving as many as a 1000 casual visitors a day in summer. The Trust employed 'guide interpreters' to manage tours visiting Dartington Hall and its departments. Following World War II the tourist tide slowed to about 3000 guided visitors per year but this did not include commercial coach parties which were often turned away. In 1968, large organised groups of visitors were no longer permitted to tour the Hall. Tours for visiting groups were provided by C H O Pearson and Ernest Isherwood in the 1930s.Trust public relations officer and records officer Robin Johnson managed visitors to the estate from 1946 until 1975, when the function became the responsibility of interpretation officer Mark Kidel. Photographs and postcards were sold from the Central Office which was located in the gatehouse or archway to the courtyard.

Information for Researchers

All papers belonging to The Dartington Hall Trust Archive (with the exclusion of Dartington Hall School pupils individual records) are held at the Devon Record Office. All enquiries relating to research should be made to Devon Records Office, Great Moor House, Bittern Road, Sowton, Exeter, Devon EX2 7NL
+44 (0)1392 384253
+44 (0)1392 384256
devrec@devon.gov.uk
www.devon.gov.uk/record_office

The following requests should be made direct to the Archives & Records at The Dartington Hall Trust as shown below:
Copies of images as seen on The Dartington Hall Trust online catalogue with appropriate reference number (Ref No.)
Permission to publish or quote from any document held in the Dartington Hall Trust Archive
Former pupils of Dartington Hall School wishing to view their records
Archives & Records
The Dartington Hall Trust
Dartington Hall
Totnes TQ9 6EL
01803 847200
yvonne.widger@dartington.org

This information is copyright The Dartington Hall Trust