Langdon Court (Devon)

“After a two year long refurbishment of this unique 16th Century manor house, Langdon Court reopened in Autumn 2023. Donna Ida Thornton and Robert Walton MBE have created an inviting country house hotel experience in the heart of the South West, with every aspect of this house providing luxury and comfort for guests.” Another wedding venue in Devon, only this one is offering “EXCLUSIVE USE for WEDDINGS” – not only weddings but “FAMILY GATHERINGS, SHOOTING PARTIES, RETREATS & EVENTS”. Shooting parties? Of course, this is Devon where it seems that almost every venue operator is chasing money from people who like to kill wildlife…and just like almost every other venue this one wants to reassure its gun-toting clients that their’s is special because of either the view, the environment, the very special birds etc etc: “Langdon Court has been blessed with some of the most spectacular views in all of the South West, with acres of land and the highest quality equipment for your shooting groups or syndicates, we can ensure Langdon Court will become the ultimate destination for your parties.” What the Hotel’s website doesn’t mention, incidentally, is that Ms Thornton was being sued in March 2024, with their builder also saying that she “opted for style over substance when it came to the renovations, spending up to £45,000 on chandeliers and thousands more on fashionable wallpaper – but neglected ‘basic work’ like external pointing and treating woodworm.” We don’t normally go in for gossip, but we’re happy to make an exception in this case…