There’s something really quite magical about Dartington Hall.
It might be its rich history dating back to medieval times or perhaps the Dartington Hall Gardens with its 26 acres of formal grounds, stunning features, beautiful views, impressive trees – especially the 1,500-year-old yew tree and the line of sweet chestnuts believed to be more than 400 years old.
Then there are the extraordinary sculptures, including Henry Moore’s ‘Reclining Figure’, commissioned especially for the gardens in 1946. There is, of course, the music and the astonishing list of composers and musicians who visited Dartington International Summer School over the 75 years of its existence. Paul Hindemith, George Enescu, Aaron Copland, Elliott Carter, Nadia Boulanger, Imogen Holst, Igor Stravinsky, Peter Maxwell Davies and Harrison Birtwistle have played an important role in shaping the musical landscape of Dartington along with the Artistic Directors who have brought their own specialisms and creativity and added it to the cultural mix.
There are also the magnificent buildings that seem so timeless and permanent. Dartington Hall is an historic house and country estate of 1,200 acres dating from medieval times and the group of late 14th century Grade I listed buildings are some of the most spectacular surviving domestic buildings of late Medieval England.
With so much history, culture alongside the important role Dartington Trust plays as charity delivering progressive learning programmes in the arts, ecology and social justice, it’s no wonder the uniqueness of the place draws people back regularly. It is a magical place and, hopefully, it will remain so for the next 1000 years.
Sounding Out 