Burned history

Image: © Neil Owen Taken: 16 Jun 2023

The Knowle was firstly an estate of eleven acres, which was built in 1805 for Lord le Despenser and subsequently rented to the Marquis of Bute. It was enlarged with the arrival of Knowle Cottage - a large 30 room house inspired by a mixture of rustic and Gothic features. It changed hands in 1821 when Thomas Leversidge Fish, a noted collector and connoisseur, who added lots of trees, plants, artworks and a menagerie of various animals. He opened the grounds up on Mondays to the publis and with this trade he established a hotel here. During WWII, the buildings were requisitioned by the military but returned to commercial use thereafter. However, the 1960s saw holiday trade decline and the hotel was bought by Sidmouth Urban District Council for use as their offices. The parkland was left open to all. But by 2015 the council decided it needed to move to better premises and sold it to a care home company, with an eye to conversion. However, the plans were later rejected and the property sold again to a developer in 2022. They hoped to create a more practical mixed residence. However, in March, 2023, the site was engulfed by a fire that has largely destroyed the historic old suite.

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