 “Umm”, you may think, “an architectural treatise. Not for me”.
Well
think, and look again! This is a fascinating book, mainly about
two men who made a profound and lasting effect on one of the most
beautiful parts of Devon.
Mark Rolle was one.
He
was one of those at whom it has become fashionable to sneer, because he
was “upper class”, Victorian, and the inheritor of a large
estate. Mr Lipscomb, his land agent, was the other. (Read
the book and you may, like me, find it impossible to separate
“Mr” from “Lipscomb”.)
Mark
Rolle does not fit the ‘wicked landlord’ mould provided by
some Victorian novelists. He was a quiet and retiring man with a
strong sense of duty. Neither was Mr Lipscomb the ruthless or
unscrupulous agent so often portrayed by writers. Far from it, he
was a man of strong principles, forever urging the case for increased
wages and pensions, and the building of new cottages, farmhouses and
buildings.
At the same
time he did not hesitate to point out the “dead loss”, in
purely economic terms, of much of this new building.
Between
the two of them they were also largely responsible for the creation
(and character), of Budleigh Salterton, the provision of the railway
(from Exmouth to Tipton St John and Sidmouth Junction), together with
many local amenities such as Budleigh Golf Course, greens and playing
fields, village water supplies and church and village halls.
Their
characters stand out from the book. I long ago decided Mr
Lipscomb’s bark was worse than his bite when I discovered his
farm valuation book. This he used to value the farms for
rent. Valuers made the valuations field by field, using a code
word, in which each letter represented a number. Mr
Lipscomb’s code word was “Sympathize”. I was
not surprised when I later discovered Mark Rolle reduced farm rents
during the agricultural depression, to help his farm tenants.
 After
reading the book, take a look around Otterton, East Budleigh, Colaton
Raleigh or the vicinity, and admire some of the work of these
men. Note the quality of the architecture, workmanship and
materials, and their strong character. Many of the cottages have
decorative finishes to the roof ridges and patterned brickwork at
windows and doors.
These
cottages were for working people, but how often do we see such
attention to quality and detail in modern council housing? The
most accessible and one of the finest set of farm buildings is at South
Farm, with its imposing entrance. Take a look, (and visit the
vegetable shop while there).
This
book has been written by Alan Ford of the Otter Valley Association,
with a great deal of research, and his enjoyment of his work shines
through. It is illustrated with excellent colour
photographs. It should be on the reading list of not only every
young surveyor, architect and town planner, but also everyone who loves
the English countryside.
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And at only £4.95 it must be one of the bargains of the Millennium (which it marks), too!
