Heritage & Buildings

Property Management

The Dartington Hall estate is a 1,200 acre mixture of arable and pastoral farmland, woodland, residential and commercial accommodation.

The buildings and structures situated on the estate range in age from Deer Park Wall and Earth Works at North Wood which date from the Bronze and Iron Ages, to the main Hall which was built in 1388, to those properties which were built by the Elmhirsts in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. A large number of the properties on the estate are used for programmes and activities run directly by the Trust, and others are rented out to a diverse range of independent activities and organisations.

Residential property both on and off the estate is rented out at commercial rents by the Trust. Any income generated by the rental or sale of residential and commercial properties is used to support the charitable programmes of the Trust.

The Trust has a small Property Management team which works closely in conjunction with the Estate Services Department who assist in maintaining the buildings and structures. The department also works with the Grounds and Gardens Department, Woodlands and Conservation Department and the director of the Landscope Project.

In 2001 the Trust undertook a major property review and following that the Trust continues with its overall policy in relation to its property and implements the Property Strategy as appropriate. It is to use its property to enable it to fulfil its charitable aims, and to ensure that facilities required for the charitable activities are fit for those purposes and well maintained in a cost-effective manner. All other properties are managed, developed and where appropriate sold, in a manner that optimises their financial contribution to the work of the Trust.

Residential Property

The Trust maintains a portfolio of residential property both on and off the Estate. The Property Strategy gives priority to employees of the Trust in relation to these lettings. If there is property available that is not required by a member of staff this will then come on to the open market to let. If and when properties do become vacant they tend to be let quickly so we do not advertise these on the website.

For further information contact: Carol Richards, Tenants Manager, The Elmhirst Centre, Dartington Hall. Tel: 01803 847012 – Email: carol.richards@dartington.org

Commercial Property

The Trust owns and manages Webbers Yard Industrial Estate and Higher Tweed Mills which form industrial units situated on the A385 in the village of Dartington. This industrial estate offers easy access to the A38 expressway. Units range from 500 sq ft to 2500 sq ft and are let on flexible terms.

Click here for a list of currently available Commercial Property

For further information contact: Carol Richards, Tenants Manager, The Elmhirst Centre, Dartington Hall. Tel: 01803 847012 – Email: carol.richards@dartington.org

Property Development

Our Vision

Since its inception in 1925, The Dartington Hall Trust has achieved international renown as a place of experiment, education and enterprise, where the arts, social justice and sustainability come together. Today, we employ some 350 people, the vast majority of whom live locally and we welcome over 1 million visitors each year. Currently, Dartington supports 16 charitable programmes with over 20 new initiatives in development. Our work reaches out to some 88 countries across the globe. All of this contributes over £15 million each year into the local economy and helps shape the unique character of the local area.

During the next 5 years, we plan to invest over £35 million in Dartington, creating more than 100 new jobs and developing new initiatives whilst reshaping and maintaining the estate.

Our Needs

Despite what some may believe, there is no endowment to tap into when times are financially challenging. The legacy left by our founders, Dorothy and Leonard Elmhirst, lies in their creation of the ‘Dartington experiment’ and the beautiful estate within which it is nurtured. The hard financial facts are that we have to turnover around £17million per annum to meet our current commitments and future aspirations. This means that whilst Dartington is a charity, it must act like a business if it is to survive and thrive – this is why we use the term ‘social enterprise’. Nothing can be done without sustained and significant amounts of money. We are guardians of a beautiful estate that it is our duty to preserve and keep open to all. The estate’s general maintenance costs alone are in excess of £1 million a year. Running our existing activities, let alone developing new ones in our three programme areas, also costs in excess of £7 million.

Our Resources

Making efficient use of our assets and resources is fundamental to our existence. Throughout its history, the Trust has always sought to generate revenue from its activities and commercial enterprises. It has also always been involved in the development and judicious sale of land. Today is no different from the past. With our ambitious programme development plans we need to call upon all resources – income generation, fundraising, enterprises and property development. In the coming months we will be embarking on a programme which will seek to generate a considerable amount of money from the sale and development of some key sites within the local area. We do this because we need to continue to raise funds to support the development and growth of the activities at Dartington and the management and maintenance of the estate. We do this because we know we need this money to continue our work with confidence through what are clearly difficult times.

Our Commitment

We recognise that there are those within the community of which we are a part who will not welcome the prospect of change or further development. We are mindful and sensitive to this. We therefore want to make a commitment to engage with our neighbours from the outset so that they can better understand what we propose to do – and have an opportunity to influence the outcome. Localism will play a key part; local skills, local housing, local employment and local consultation. We will seek to work with development partners who recognise what we stand for and understand that our values and those of the wider community should be reflected in the completed development. We hope that in making this commitment to real and meaningful engagement with the community that we can work together to achieve better outcomes for us all.