House & Family History: The history of Knowstone Manor is shrouded in mystery and conjecture. It was certainly built in the late 1930s, but there the facts end. It was supposedly built by a German man, with money funneled into Britain from the Third Reich, for use after Germany conquered Britain, when it would become a residence for Hitler or a retreat for the Nazi elite. From the air the House purportedly resembled the Nazi swastika and had a glass dome that contained lights that acted as a signal for German planes. Knowstone was the subject of a 2008 privately printed book by Christopher Chanter entitled “A House for Hitler? The Story of Knowstone Manor, Exmoor.” The mansion house burned in the 1960s and was replaced by a bungalow, which was listed for sale in 2017 for £595,000.

Garden & Outbuildings: By the late 1930s the Knowstone Estate comprised 1,600 acres.

House Listed: Demolished

Park Listed: Not Listed

Current Ownership Type: Demolished

Primary Current Ownership Use: Demolished

House Open to Public: No

Historic Houses Member: No