The house from "Morris's Views of Seats," circa 1875.
House & Family History: Stevenstone had a 16th century core that was remodeled by Sir Robert Rolle, MP, circa 1709 and transformed into a large mansion by Charles Barry, Jr. between 1869 and 1873 for The Hon. Mark Rolle. Circa 1914 the house was reconstructed and reduced in size; by the late 20th century Stevenstone was a ruin. The house was the primary West Country seat of the Rolle family, one of Devon's leading county families in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Garden & Outbuildings: The orangery and the library were built 1710-20. The library was converted into a small house in the 1950s and, together with the orangery, converted into a holiday rental cottage by the Landmark Trust in 1978. The library is a red brick building with three arches that extend to the ground floor and three tall arched windows above. There are giant Ionic stone fluted pilasters and a cartouche with the arms of John Rolle (died 1730). The first floor of the library contains a carved fireplace surround that was moved from the dining room of the big house. Little Silver Cottage, a stone house of 1879, is one of six lodges scattered around the estate, most of them, like Little Silver, built in the late 19th century. Also extant is the old laundry and two parallel two-story stable ranges that were converted into Georgian style houses in the 1950s. There are also a number of 20th century houses dotted about the grounds. The follies and the ruins of the house sit in the remains of a grand arboretum, designed in the 1870s by Edward Milner.
Architect: Charles Barry Jr.
Date: 1869-73
Title: Landmark Trust Handbook, 21st Edition, The
Author: NA
Year Published: 2005
Reference: pg. 96
Publisher: Berkshire: The Landmark Trust
ISBN: 0953312445
Book Type: Softback
Title: Buildings of England: Devon, The
Author: Pevsner, Nikolaus; Cherry, Bridget; Nairn, Judy
Year Published: 1989
Reference: pg. 760
Publisher: London: Penguin
ISBN: 0140710507
Book Type: Hardback
House Listed: Grade II
Park Listed: Not Listed
Past Seat / Home of: Sir Robert Rolle, MP, early 18th century; The Hon. Mark Rolle, 19th century.
Current Ownership Type: The Landmark Trust
Primary Current Ownership Use: Holiday Rental
Ownership Details: Stevenstone house is a ruin; the Landmark Trust owns two follies, which they let as holiday rentals.
House Open to Public: Folly / Outbuildings Only - By Appointment
Phone: 01628-825-925
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://www.landmarktrust.org.uk
Historic Houses Member: No