What I truly love about the National Trust is its commitment to saving countless extraordinary properties that might have otherwise been lost to developers. Like the stunning 16-sided house near Exmouth.
A La Ronde History
A La Ronde was in jeopardy back in January 1991 when the owners could no longer afford its upkeep. Developers were keenly interested in the land, which offers breathtaking views of the Exmouth coastline. Their plans involved demolishing this unique house to make way for more profitable housing. Fortunately, the National Trust intervened and acquired the house and its grounds. Allowing us to enjoying this architectural wonder.
Mary and Jane Parminster inherited fortunes from their fathers’ deaths. After their “Grand Tour” of Europe, they returned to Devon and made the decision to construct a home unlike any other. Actually, they wanted it to resemble San Vitale, an Italian basilica they had seen while travelling.
A La Ronde – The House
The house they created stands out with its sixteen round sides and a conical roof that used to be thatched but is now covered with tiles. Its white balcony and cupola add to its charm. The windows are pretty unique too, featuring angled green shutters and diamond-shaped panes with red borders, which are remnants of the original design.
In the middle of the house, there’s an octagonal hall that stretches up to a shell gallery and glass roof. From the upper ground floor to the first floor rooms come off the centre like petals. which also created wedge-shaped cupboards between each room. These were used for a variety of purposes, including a nook library.
There were ante-rooms that connected the adjacent rooms, but there aren’t many lobbies left. The Parminters most likely created the ornamental chevron pattern on the octagon’s walls. Mary Parminter designed the distinctive octagonal seats between the upper ground floor doors. Every seat features a small octagonal shape on top and a triangular back.
Both women were keen artists and obsessive shell collectors, and so the house is littered with their creativity and collections. The sitting room is decorated with patterns created from feathers which incredibly have survived the last two centuries.
The shells that they collected while travelling and in the UK are displayed on the walls of a very oddball shell room at the top of the house. They fill drawers and cupboards throughout the house. Unfortunately, visitors can no longer enter the shell room due to the limited space and the fragility of the shells. Instead, they are forced to make do with a photograph of the room and a view from the stairway. Currently, conservationists are working hard to prevent the situation in this special area from getting worse.
Womens Independence
When it came to women’s independence, Jane and Mary were true pioneers. To ensure that none of them would have to get married in order to survive, they made sure that only their unmarried female relatives could inherit the house after they died.
They also stipulated that all the items in the house had to remain with it. A huge bonus for the National Trust which still displays many of the items today.
A La Ronde is a quirky National Trust Property. Full of history and homage to women independence. This National Trust property is in Exmouth and is really easy to find. It makes a great family day out.