The Twentieth Century Society

Campaigning for outstanding buildings

Littlemead, Taunton, home of Modernist pioneer Doris Hatt Photo © Bob Hardcastle

South West

C20 South West update

As previously advised, the South West group AGM will be on 30 March at High Cross House, Dartington at 2.30pm.  High Cross House is about to undergo renovations masterminded by architects and master-planners Purcell. We will be joined by Jon Wright from Purcell, who will be showing a presentation of their plans for this important modernist house, one of the most significant examples of the International Style in this country. Jon is an architectural historian and was previously a caseworker with the Society.  High Cross was built in 1932 for the headmaster of Dartington School to designs by William Lescaze. It is Grade II* listed. We hope to see you there, and if you are thinking of coming it would be helpful if you could let Tony Stokoe know to help us manage numbers.

Opening later this month (16 March) at the Museum of Somerset in Taunton is an exhibition of the work of artist, feminist and socialist Doris Hatt (1890-1969), A Life in Colour.  Doris was a pioneer of British Modernism and lived in an appropriately modernist house in Taunton, ‘Littlemead’ which is currently on the market and was recently photographed by Bob Hardcastle (above).

Robert Drake has put together a list of churches in Plymouth and Torbay for a day visit in August and we will confirm this in our next bulletin. Depending on access, we anticipate the visit being on 31 August. Finally, I can confirm that our weekend event focussing on Plymouth will be on the last weekend in September 28-29.

Tony Stokoe