Langdon, Devon

Langdon Court is a former English Manor House, in Wembury, South Devon, United Kingdom. It consists of a single courtyard mansion from 1693 and a walled formal garden. [http://www.devonruralarchive.com/LangdonCourt.html]

It was noted in the Domesday Book as having been granted to the Norman Baron Judhael, Lord of Totnes [http://www.devonruralarchive.com/LangdonCourt.html] for his support of King William I of England after the Battle of Hastings. Jodhel in turn granted Langdon to one of his knights named Walden.

Langdon was transferred from Knight Walden to the Pipard family and then to the great Courtenay family of Devon. This family held the estate for nearly 200 years, with the last Courtenay being Marquis of Exeter who was beheaded for treason by Henry VIII in 1538. This was probably for his opposition to Henry’s break with Rome and the creation of the Church of England during the uprising known as the Pilgrimage of Grace.

The house later passed to Henry's widow Catherine Parr. In 1564 Queen Elizabeth I granted Langdon Court to Vincent Calmady for services to the Royal Navy. This was the start of a of great building and landscaping period, much of which is seen at Langdon today. The Calmady family also created an early English Renaissance garden which can still be admired. Langdon Court remained in the Calmady family until 1875 [http://www.devonruralarchive.com/LangdonCourt.html] when the last daughters in the Calmady line died.

Richard Cory purchased Langdon Court in 1876. He was the son of William Cory who founded the coal shipping and bunkering firm in London known as Wm Cory and Sons Ltd. It was during his tenure that extensive repairs and alterations were made to the house.

On several occasions, Richard Cory played host to his friend the Prince of Wales, later to become Edward VII. Edward was often accompanied by his friend, the society beauty and actress Lillie Langtry.

On Richard Cory’s death in 1904 the estate was broken up and a Mrs. Kenyon-Slaney bought the house and ten acres of land. She lived here until the beginning of the Second World War. After the war Langdon Court was purchased by the City Council of Plymouth and used as a children’s convalescent home.

It was in 1960, when the council sold the building, that the necessary work was carried out to convert the building into the Langdon Court Hotel as it remains today.

External links

# [http://www.langdoncourt.com/ Langdon Court Hotel and Restaurant]
# [http://www.devonruralarchive.com/LangdonCourt.html Devon Rural Archive]

References