Historic playhouse damaged in blaze

The Dartington Hall Trust says the blaze could have been catastrophic.

The Trust has shared it's disappointment at the 1929 structure being set on fire and damaged overnight on Monday (8th April 2019).

In a post on Facebook it said: "Built in 1929, Dorothy and Leonard Elmhirst imagined The Playhouse as a magical space for children to have fun in the gardens. It saddens us to say that last night vandals found their amusement by breaking some of the original leaded window panes and lighting a fire on this beloved building. Whilst we don’t know what the perpetrator’s intended outcome was, we do know that the fire somehow spread inside the building, causing damage to some historic contents.

Much of the structure is original and with the building being thatched, the outcome could have been catastrophic.

Dartington is a charity doing its utmost to create a sustainable business model in challenging economic times, and acts such as these are unhelpful to say the least. It’s incredibly important to the Trust that we continue to keep areas such as the Gardens free for everyone to enjoy all year round - please do help us to make that possible by treating the estate with respect."

If you have any information about this crime, please call the non-emergency police number 101 and quote Crime Reference CR/031139/19"