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

I

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

Dartmouth, and is distant from the Town about five miles.

Copied from the Dartmouth and South Hams Chronicle

February 15 1895.