GREAT FIRE AT BLACKAWTON OLDSTONE HOUSE DESTROYED
The old family
mansion of the Dimes family was on Saturday night-destroyed by one of the most
disastrous fires which has ever occurred in the
neighbourhood of Blackawton.
It appears that
about 5 pm on Saturday Mr W.S.Dimes the owner of the Oldstone Estates, had his attention drawn to the kitchen chimney, which
was on fire. He immediately took steps to put it out. At half past six in the
evening he went upstairs to one of the bedrooms close to which the kitchen
chimney runs, and was astounded to find that the ceiling was in flames.
He at once raised
the alarm, and the tidings spreading to Blackawton village close by, all the
villagers came running to assist. Efforts could only be directed towards saving
some of the furniture etc, however, for the house burnt like tinder, and by
seven o clock or soon afterwards was one mass of flames.
The contents of
the library and the drawing room, as well as those of entrance hall, including
all the books, a number of valuable oil paintings and armour, and the furniture
of the rooms mentioned, were got out just in time, but everything in the upper
stories was utterly destroyed. Clothing, jewellery, pictures, carpets, and
everything in the bedrooms —— many of which contained some valuable pictures
was consumed.
It is worthy of
mention that the pictures in the house were exceptionally valuable. They were
mostly painted by Etty. There were also some valuable old relics etc. For one
old piece of oak Sir Thomas Freake, of Warfleet House, Dartmouth, offered the
late Mr Dimes no less than-£200, but he refused to sell it.
The Oldstone
estate was originally the property of the Cholwich family. The house is a very
ancient one and contained a large number of windows.
Curiously enough,
although the fire completely gutted the place two windows were uninjured, that
of the entrance hall and another belonging to a bedroom at the eastern end the fartherest
away from the part in which the fire originated. The (house)?
burnt itself out in a little over two hours, the
flames being fanned by a strong easterly wind.
It was seen from
the first that it was utterly useless to
attempt to save the house. Mr and Mrs Dimes have
several
children, two or three of whom were at the house
with them when
the outbreak occurred,
They were removed
to other houses on the estate, which comprises a number of farms etc. It is
stated that the house and furniture are insured in the County Fire Office,
though the furniture is not insured up to its full value.
The damage is
estimated at upwards of £7000. On Sunday a large number of people visited the
spot. The fire was still smoldering in some of the beams, and the place was a
complete ruin. It was feared that some of the walls would fall in. and P.H.Horn
kept people from going in to view the ruins for this reason. The house stands
about 300 yards from the main road to
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