High Cross House

Textiles play a prominent role this season at High Cross House on the Dartington estate. Interspersed throughout the house is Sense of Place, an installation of contemporary artworks by tapestry weaver Jilly Edwards, with recorded music by composer Nigel Morgan. Jilly’s tapestries are specially created to reflect her concept of the building and its contents, both externally and internally. Nigel’s music interprets the sounds of making tapestry and Jilly’s work in the context of the house. Jilly has exhibited widely across Britain, and Nigel works at the heart of contemporary concert music in the UK.

Textiles Floor Rug Pattern, c1930s

The Dartington Hall Trust’s role in the textile industry is demonstrated in a special exhibition drawing on material from the Trust’s Archive. Artist Bobbie Cox, whose tapestries hang in the White Hart Dining Room, represents the Trust’s own collection of very varied textiles. Lee Moor II, inspired by the Dartmoor Lee Moor china clay works, was woven by Bobbie in 1978 at her home in Warren Lane, Dartington. Bobbie taught at Dartington College of Arts and since 1978 has had three national touring exhibitions and undertaken major commissions.

Lucie Rie, stoneware bottle

On display are unique pieces from the Trust’s picture and ceramics collection. Studio pottery is by Bernard Leach, Shoji Hamada, Hans Coper, Lucie Rie, Marianne de Trey, Katharine Pleydell-Bouverie, David Leach and Michael Cardew. These potters and many more were brought together at Dartington Hall in 1952 by an international conference attended by the foremost craftsmen in ceramics and textiles from around the world. Leach’s exquisite pots reflect the inspiration drawn from East and West and early Chinese pieces are shown alongside this work.

The pictures on display include two by John Piper, who as Official War Artist, was invited to paint the historic buildings at Dartington in the 1940s as part of the ‘Recording Britain’ scheme. They can be seen alongside artists who include Mark Tobey, Cecil Collins, Ben Nicholson, Winifred Nicholson, Julian Trevelyan, Christopher Wood, Alfred Wallis, David Jones, Jacob Epstein and Rabindranath Tagore.

High Cross House, completed in 1932, was designed by Swiss American architect, William Lescaze, and built for William Curry, the first headmaster of the famous Dartington Hall School. Inspired by the De Stijl movement and Le Corbusier with Bauhaus furniture, the opportunity to visit this architectural masterpiece should not be missed.

Opening hours 2010: 4 May-29 October, Tue-Fri: 14.00-16.30; plus 27 July-27 August: 10.30-12.30. Saturday opening 10 July, 10.30-12.30; 14.00-16.30. Admissions £5; £3.50; 17 and under free. Heritage Open Day free entry, Sat 11 September, 10.30-12.30; 14.00-16.30. Group visits by appointment. Contact: high.cross.house@dartington.org; 01803 847200.

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