Dillington House is a Grade II* listed manor near Ilminster in the parish of Whitelackington,

Somerset Somerset ( , ), Archaism, archaically Somersetshire ( , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

. The present house, which dates from the 16th century, is owned by Lord Cameron of Dillington and operated by Somerset Council. There has been a house on the site since before the

Norman Conquest The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Normans, Norman, French people, French, Flemish people, Flemish, and Bretons, Breton troops, all led by the Du ...

, probably taking advantage of the nearby

chalybeate Chalybeate () waters, also known as Iron oxide, ferruginous waters, are mineral spring waters containing salts of iron. Name The word ''chalybeate'' is derived from the Latin word for steel, , which follows from the Ancient Greek, Greek word ...

spring.

History

The house has 16th-century origins, but was reshaped around 1838 by its then owner John.E.Lee to the design of Sir

James Pennethorne Sir James Pennethorne (4 June 1801 – 1 September 1871) was a British architect and planner, particularly associated with buildings and parks in central London. Life Early years Pennethorne was born in Worcester, and travelled to London i ...

. John Lee, who purchased the house, had been born John Hanning and had assumed the surname Lee on becoming the heir of his uncle Major Edward Lee (d.1819) of Orleigh Court, Buckland Brewer, North Devon. John Lee's brother-in-law and his tenant at Orleigh Court was William Speke of Jordans near Ilminster, father of the celebrated discoverer of the

River Nile The Nile (also known as the Nile River or River Nile) is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa. It has historically been considered the longest river i ...

John Hanning Speke. It is now a Grade II*

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...

. Dillington House was the country residence of

George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland, Ireland from 25 October 1760 until his death in 1820. The Acts of Union 1800 unified Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and ...

's Prime Minister, Lord North who acquired it through marriage to Anne Speke. The stables which were built in the 18th or early 19th century were remodelled in 1875 by George Nattress and later in the 1960s when the Coach House was converted into a theatre. The two lodges adjacent to the main gate are also Grade II* listed and are in private ownership. In 1940, the 'Fortress Ilminster' project saw the area prepare for what was thought to be imminent invasion by the Nazis. The drive extending from the town, north toward Dillington House hosted tank barricades and concrete gun emplacements as part of the Taunton Stop Line. Remains of Fortress Ilminster can still be seen today and the drive is now a public footpath. In the spring of 2009 a new building, 'The Hyde', was opened, providing two studio spaces, additional dining accommodation and 15 fully accessible bedrooms. Designed by Tim Rolt and Dan Talkes of Purcell Miller Tritton, the building won the 2010 South-West Region Architecture Award from the

Royal Institute of British Architects The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three suppl ...

Present use

Dillington House offered a range of day courses and residential short courses, in addition to a programme of public lectures. As well as being a hotel, it has also been used as a venue for conferences and meetings, weddings and other private events, with the residential accommodation set in historic parkland and gardens. In 2017 the House and Gardens were used as the location for a short documentary film, highlighting the national decrease in the numbers of

Pembroke Welsh Corgi The Pembroke Welsh Corgi (; Welsh for "dwarf dog") is a cattle herding dog breed that originated in Pembrokeshire, Wales. The name ''Corgi'' is of Welsh origin, and is a compound of the words and (mutated to ), meaning "dwarf" and "dog", r ...

s. The venue had been struggling to make ends meet for more than a decade and was predicted to lose more than £500,000 over the 2022/2023 financial year. In September 2022 Somerset Council decided to end its operations at Dillington House, in a bid to prevent further losses for taxpayers. The venue, which had more than 30 staff, confirmed that it would close its doors in September 2023.

References

External links

Dillington Estate homepage
{{Schools in Somerset 16th-century establishments in England Houses completed in the 16th century Further education colleges in Somerset Grade II* listed buildings in South Somerset Grade II listed buildings in South Somerset Prime ministerial homes in the United Kingdom Grade II* listed houses in Somerset Adult education in the United Kingdom Frederick North, Lord North