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A woman's touch in a man's world |
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Most people return from a holiday abroad longing for better weather at home, but how many people would go so far as to design a house specifically to make the most of our weak British sun?
© NTPL / Derrick E Witty
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Well that's exactly what happened in Exmouth at the end of the 18th Century, when a unique, 16-sided house was built by, some would say eccentric spinster cousins, Mary and Jane Parminter, on their return from Europe.
Eastern influences
A la Ronde, as it is known, bears witness to the independence and resourcefulness of two women in an age when the early feminists were only just stirring.
It combines the rustic charm of a cottage with a Byzantine influence, thought to have been inspired by the .
In 1784, following the death of Jane's father - a wealthy Devon merchant - Mary and Jane travelled throughout Europe for 10 years, together with two other women.
The 'Grand Tour' was a recognised way for wealthy young men to finish their education in the 18th Century, but it was much more unusual for women to travel alone in this way.
© NTPL Geoffrey Frosh
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Returning from their tour in 1795, Jane and Mary decided to build a house to remind them of their travels and provide a home for all the souvenirs they had collected.
They chose a site in Exmouth, which by that time had become a fashionable watering place, with residents including Lady Byron and Viscountess Nelson.
Family history maintains that Jane designed the 16-sided house herself, though she may well have been helped by a relative John Lowder, later to become one of the architects of Georgian Bath.
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