A Grade II listed Elizabethan manor house in Devon has been destroyed by a fire that police believe was started deliberately. The blaze at Poltimore House, near Exeter, broke out at around 1.05am, requiring six fire engines to bring it under control.
Fire services said the 1550-built property suffered 'significant damage', with the interior gutted and only the shell remaining. The incident is being treated as arson by Devon and Cornwall Police, who are appealing for witnesses.
Martinsfield Farm, located a mile away, reported on Facebook that 'kids were seen running away' from the scene. The Poltimore House Trust, which had been overseeing renovations, has vowed to salvage what remains of the historic building.
Trust chair Dr Peter Totterdill said he was 'shocked at the scale of the devastation' but determined to preserve the site. 'We're determined to save what we can of this important part of Devon's heritage,' he added.
Poltimore House was built by Richard Bampfylde, Sheriff of Devon, and remained in the family until 1920. It later served as a school and hospital before falling into disrepair following a series of arson attacks in the late 1980s.
