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The fascinating history of Orestone Manor

Photo credit: Samantha Priestley
Photo credit: Samantha Priestley

From Town & Country

Snug in the hillside at Maidencombe, in the rolling landscape of the English Riviera, sits Orestone Manor. Now a hotel, this was once the home of the 19th-century narrative painter John Callcott Horsley, who used it as his ‘lodge’ (his main residence was in London). With its sumptuous lounge and spacious bedrooms, it was the perfect coastal escape for a rich London bachelor, who apparently hosted many great gatherings and parties here.

In 1843, while living at the house and still unmarried, Horsley was commissioned by his friend Sir Henry Cole, the first ever director of the Victoria and Albert Museum, to design what would become the world’s first Christmas card. Cole had a print run of 1,000 dashed off and then sold the cards for five pence each. Horsley wasn’t known for painting controversial scenes, but his design, which depicts a thirsty child appearing to guzzle down a glass of red wine on Christmas Day, did cause something of a stir when it was released into the world. Still, the outcry must have been short-lived, as the card became the most popular of its era. Today, just 18 of the original prints remain and you can view one by appointment at the V&A; another recently sold at auction for £22,000.

Photo credit: Universal History Archive - Getty Images
Photo credit: Universal History Archive - Getty Images

Orestone Manor was to play a historic role once again in 1836, when Horsley’s sister married the great engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Brunel sat for his portrait somewhere on the premises in 1857, resulting in the creation of a captivating painting that his son donated to the National Portrait Gallery in 1895, where it still hangs today.

With its idyllic seaside location and rugged surrounding landscape, Orestone makes for as relaxing a rural getaway in the 21st century as it did in the time of Horsley and Brunel. The hotel has 16 rooms, each decorated and designed individually, and the interiors have a colonial feel, with exotic wallpaper and luxurious bathrooms; outdoors, palm-trees stand sentry, swaying gently in the breeze.

Photo credit: Courtesy of Orestone Manor
Photo credit: Courtesy of Orestone Manor
Photo credit: Courtesy of Orestone Manor
Photo credit: Courtesy of Orestone Manor

Make sure to visit the restaurant, which serves a seasonal menu inspired by the finest Devon produce – you can even order a packed lunch to bring with you on one of the dramatic seaside walks. The coastal path will take you all the way to Oddicombe, where you can enjoy views of the old cliffside railway, built in 1926, which ferries passengers up and down from the town to the beach below. The rocky coastline in this part of Devon means the smallest and prettiest alcoves are often difficult to reach, but with their sheer red cliff faces and red-sand shores, they make the journey well worth the effort.

Photo credit: Courtesy of Orestone Manor
Photo credit: Courtesy of Orestone Manor
Photo credit: Samantha Priestley
Photo credit: Samantha Priestley

Orestone Manor, Devon.