National Trust - Castle Drogo

Story

Castle Drogo is a country house and castle near Drewsteignton, Devon, England: grid reference SX 722901. It was built from 1911 to 1930 for Julius Drewe (businessman and founder of the Home and Colonial Stores) to designs by architect Edwin Lutyens, and is a Grade I listed building. It is currently undergoing a conservation project (2013–2018) to finally make it watertight. It was the last castle built in England. The gardens are Grade II* listed in the National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens.BackgroundIn 1910 Julius Drewe bought about 450acre south and west of the village of Drewsteignton in the belief that he was descended from the Drewe family that once lived here. (By the time of his death in 1931 he had bought up an estate of 1,500 acres). He then asked Edwin Lutyens to build him a castle. According to his son Basil, he did so on the advice of Edward Hudson, proprietor of Country Life magazine, who was both a patron and a champion of Lutyens. Drewe was now 54 years old, but he still had time, energy and money to create his new family seat. On 4 April 1911, Drewe's 55th birthday, the first foundation stone was laid.ConstructionThe castle took many years to complete, with the First World War and the economic downturn causing many delays. Castle Drogo was finally completed in 1930, roughly half the size of Lutyens's 1911 designs, and only a year before Julius died; he had, however, been able to live in the house since around 1925. It was built at the same time as Lutyens's work in New Delhi resulting in many similarities in design.