The centuries-old estate has been gutted (Picture: BPM)
A manor house that dates back to the Elizabethan times has been destroyed overnight by fire in a suspected arson attack.
The shell of the Poltimore House, constructed in 1550, was still standing in the early hours even as its windows glowed orange from the inferno inside.
Fire services say the Grade II listed building suffered ‘significant damage’, coming only years after painstaking renovation.
The blaze erupted at around 1.05am, with officers finding the property ‘fully involved in fire’ and needed to request six fire engines rather than the two initially sent.
Officials say the incident is ‘ongoing’ but the inferno has mostly been extinguished.
At about 6.05pm, fire officials said: ‘We are still currently on scene, although we have reduced down to two Fire Engines and one Aerial Ladder Platform. Police are also in attendance assisting with the incident.’
Witnesses claim they saw children ‘running away’ from the scene (Picture: Ottery St Mary Fire Station)
Martinsfield Farm, just a mile away from Politmore House, said in a Facebook post that ‘kids were seen running away’ from the site.
Poltimore House Trust has vowed to save the now-gutted house from ruin.
In a statement on the trust’s website, chair Dr Peter Totterdill said: ‘I have been at the House all morning and am shocked at the scale of the devastation.
‘I know that many people are distraught by what has happened and we are all feeling a deep sense of loss.
‘However I have been in touch with many of our Board members and we’re determined to save what we can of this important part of Devon’s heritage, and to hold on to our vision of Poltimore House and Grounds as a place for everyone.
‘More than ever, we need everyone’s help to recover from this disaster and to move forward with optimism.’
Poltimore House, about three miles northeast of Exeter, is one of Poltimore village’s most recognisable landmarks.
Poltimore House has been dialectic for decades (Picture BBC)
The Tudor-style building has long been a hub for the local community,
Poltimore House was built by Richard Bampfylde, who as Sheriff of Devon was the royal family’s county representative, with construction starting in 1550.
The Bampfyldes spent centuries living inside the estate until 1920 when the deed swapped hands and briefly became a school and a private hospital.
But it has sat derelict since the late 1980s following a series of arson attacks.
Fire services initially dispatched two fire
Devon and Cornwall Police said: ‘The incident is being treated as a suspected arson and police are appealing for anyone who saw or heard anything suspicious around the time of the fire to contact them.’
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