Hartland Abbey

Our View

When the Augustinian monastery of Hartland was dissolved in 1539, Henry VIII gave it to the sergeant of his wine cellar, perhaps in jocular acknowledgement of his name – John Abbott. The Abbotts had family connections with Sir Richard Greville, the explorer and adventurer, whose great-grandson John became a hero of the Civil War when he was only twelve years old. The property subsequently passed by inheritance and marriage through the Luttrells and Orchards to the Stucley family, who are the present owners, but the monastic buildings were demolished in the 18th century and replaced with the Gothic-style mansion we see today. The fascination of Hartland Abbey lies in its portrayal of Victorian high life, with photographs of Stucleys fighting for the Empire, shooting snipe and making social calls. The interior is High Victorian, with touches of Queen Anne. Murals in the dining room and inner hall, based upon designs found in the House of Lords, portray the historic exploits of the family. There are decorated ceilings and an extraordinary corridor commissioned by Sir George Stucley after visiting the Alhambra. The contents of the house include a set of Meissen that belonged to Marie Antoinette, and old documents from the medieval abbey that were discovered in an ancient box. In one of them a farmer swears by the sacred relics of St Nestan to desist from kidnapping and harming the king’s messengers!