Field Notes: 2 April 2025
Visiting Mervyn Seal's Exeter housing estate, unlocking my deep dive on Totnes' Civic Hall, Plymouth (again), and a round up of local C20-related news.
My deep dive on the Civic Hall in Totnes is now available for free!
Completed by Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe two years before the considerably more famous Plymouth Civic Centre, I’ve drawn out the connections between the two buildings, as well as looking at its patchy history as a music venue.
Civic Hall, Totnes (1960) • Buttondown
Exploring the history of G A Jellicoe's Civic Hall for Totnes. Includes a fire, post-punks and pilotis
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Rosebarn Park, Exeter
A few weeks ago, I met up with C20 Society South West member Geoff Stow to talk about my plans for this project. He suggested I take a look at Rosebarn Park in Exeter. When I was on that side of town the other week, I went to explore it.
The private housing estate was developed by local modernist Mervyn Seal between 1965 and 1967. Some of my family live on another Seal estate over in Dawlish so I’m familiar with his sinuous layouts and use of slopes to create layers and views. Where Oakland Park on the coast is rendered in white, creating a vaguely Californian vibe, Rosebarn is distinctly more 1960s redbrick modernism in keeping with its urban location.
In 2022, over 60 of the 90 existing tenants were served no fault evictions by the new owners and the estate was renovated to become a student village. Since 2024, Rosebarn Park has been in an area where planning permission is needed to convert properties into houses in multiple occupation (see this map on the city council site).
I want to dig into this one properly. But I’ve also told myself, quite firmly, to spend the next few deep dives in the other west country counties.
Plymouth’s new Abercrombie plan?
With grants acquired and strip out resuming, Plymouth’s Grade II Civic Centre redevelopment is getting all the headlines.
Work planned to start on massive regeneration of Civic Centre - Plymouth Live
'Its transformation will signal confidence'
It’s actually part of a wider vision for the city centre, published last week. That vision is strong on the overall objectives - build more bloody homes - but frustrating vague on detail as yet. 144 residential units in the Civic Centre is around 1% of the planned 10,000 new homes. There are several sites that could easily be regenerated - the unloved 1980s Armada Centre can’t have many fans - but the density described suggests much of the Abercrombie Plan for Plymouth will need reimagining. The large 1950s shops, for example, are unlikely to stay as retail.
Local news of C20th buildings
In which I fight my way through local ad-laden news sites to find stories about twentieth century buildings and related topics. First up is another 1962 Plymouth landmark.
Crossing lives: Tamar tollbooth project
In 1962, the Tamar Bridge opened between Plymouth and Torpoint, with tollbooths to help cover the costs. Fotonow, a local arts group, are documenting the lives of the toll booth workers in a project called Crossing Lives.
Here’s footage of the bridge being built and opening over on the British Pathe archive. The tollbooths are two minutes in. Bless everyone who thought that meant the Torpoint ferries would stop once the bridge opened. As a kid I was told that if the ferry chains snapped, Cornwall would float away.
Modern castle celebrates 50 years
In 1911 Sir Edwin Luytens started building Castle Drogo in Drewteignton, Devon, completing it in 1931. Despite the name, it’s not a castle but a very grand country house. In 1974 Drogo was given to the National Trust: it was their first C20 property. They opened it to the public in 1975 and, as it opens for the season this year, they are celebrating those 50 years.
Famous Dartmoor castle marks 50-year milestone - Devon Live
It was the last castle to be built in England
Last time I visited Drogo they were close to completing the repairs and renovations. I was very smitten by the restoration of the 1920s hydro turbine. Whilst I admire Lutyen’s work I find Drogo a little emotionally flat: it always makes me think of Citizen Kane’s Xanadu. Perhaps it’s the sense of walking through a set for a 1930s costume drama.
Tis a silly place
Tintagel in Cornwall makes much of its connections to fabled English King, Arthur. There’s the castle with its perilous walkway. And there’s his hall. Yes, King Arthur’s hall is right there. It’s where the Order of the Fellowship of the Knights of the Round Table would meet. You can visit it!
And it was built between 1927 and 1933. The fellowship is still going strong. Clearly something about the great war caused rich people in the west country to go big on castles and chivalry. As with Drogo, King Arthur’s Hall has had a badly leaking roof repaired. Unsurprisingly, it’s not a modern building but very much in the arts and crafts style.
King Arthur's Great Hall roof repaired in first phase of work - BBC News
The first reroofing works of King Arthur's Great Halls in more than 90 years are complete.
Heritage Revival Fund launched
Just today, the Architectural Heritage Fund announced a new £5 million revival fund that will offer grants to help communities take ownership of, adapt and reuse neglected historic buildings. This could help with some of the more neglected urban C20 buildings in the west country.
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A journey around modernist buildings in the West Country.