Last of the Line

Best viewed *larger*

The last main estate owned by the last female line of the family of Chichester - they owned Arlington Hall near Barnstaple, now owned by the National Trust - Francis Chichester was a great sailer, the first person single-handed sailing round the world by the clipper route & the fastest circumnavigator in 9 months & one day.

The house itself, once St Anne, was rebuilt between 1844 and 1847 by Robert Chichester as neo-Jacobean. The lady who owns it, now lives in a smaller farmhouse in the valley & the house is only used for entertaining & shooting parties - I'm not sure if anyone actually lives there all year round. They have 2500 acres. Coming to think of it, I think they also own another house called Shirwell, but I'm not 100% sure, I need to read up on the family & it's history! Fascinating place nonetheless! You can just about see the entrance pillars on the left, what look like birds on either side, are actually the family's crest - the heron with an eel in it's beak & the family motto in ancient French - Ferme en foy ("Firm in faith")

xxx