For more details please call:
01548 830831
Flete House is a Grade I listed country house at Holbeton, in the South Hams district of Devon, England. Flete was a Saxon estate, the manor being held by the Damarell family from the reign of William I until the time of Edward III.
The earliest part of the house dates from the sixteenth century, and was substantially rebuilt around 1620 for Sir Charles Hele. The Hele family held the house in both the early and the late eighteenth century.
The house was heavily remodelled in the Gothic style in 1835 by J.C. Bulteel, which obliterated the early and late eighteenth century classical work and added castellations.
In 1861 the railway came to Plymouth, enabling the Mildmays to visit Flete as guests of the Bulteels. Henry Bingham Mildmay (1828-1905) loved the place so much that he bought the whole estate extending down to the sea at Mothecombe (now the family home).
In 1878 the architect Richard Norman Shaw undertook extensive building works for Henry Bingham Mildmay, whose ancestors included Sir Walter Mildmay, Chancellor of the Exchequer to Queen Elizabeth I and founder of Emmanuel College Cambridge. Norman Shaw remodelled and extended the house, while retaining the sixteenth/seventeenth century house to the south-west.
He incorporated the Mildmay family crest in one of the windows on the main staircase. It was a house built for entertaining distinguished visitors. In 1887 Crown Princess Friedrich Wilhelm visited Flete House as well as the Kaiser's mother Princess Victoria and our own Queen Mary, who stayed in 1938. It is said that Goebbels, Hitler's Minister of Propaganda, visited Flete in the 1930s before the war (but we don't talk about that!).
Flete House was used by the City of Plymouth as a maternity hospital during and after the Second World War. At the time the Second World War broke out, the estate was in the hands of Lieutenant-Colonel, the Lord Francis Mildmay of Flete.
The first baby to be born at Flete arrived on Monday July 14, 1941, and by the end of 1941 there had been a further 124 births. Lord Mildmay remained in residence at the House until his death in 1947 and was apparently often seen in the wards. Dave Hill of the pop group Slade was one of the babies born at the House. In August 2010 there was a reunion of some of the 'Flete Babies' from the Plymouth area which was filmed by the BBC and hosted by John Sargeant.
The hospital closed on 8 May 1958, less than a month after the last baby was born there. Flete House was returned to the Mildmay family in 1959. For a while the house was operated by the Country House Association, before becoming luxury retirement apartments in 2005.
Flete House Frequently Asked Questions
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Who manages Flete House?
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The day-to-day management of Flete House is undertaken by Plymouth Block Management (PBM), with Audley providing strategic oversight of the estate. Services and amenities are funded collectively by apartment owners through the service charge, and owners are regularly consulted on estate matters and the level of services provided.
Audley does not own the freehold of the estate but holds a head leasehold interest from the Flete Estate. Apartments are held on 125 year under leases.
To find out more about buying a leasehold property at Flete House, please contact the team at Luscombe Maye who act for Audley and some of the apartment vendors.
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Who do I contact about buying?
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All sales enquiries for Audley apartments are handled by Luscombe Maye. Vendors are free to appoint other agents. Please contact them via a web form or email modbury@luscombemaye.com to arrange a viewing. Alternatively, call the Luscombe Maye team on 01548 830831.
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What services are included?
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Flete House is a unique Grade I listed country house set within 12 acres of landscaped grounds near Modbury in Devon. Unlike other Audley Villages, Flete House operates under a service charge model where the costs of the services are shared between the apartment owners.
On site facilities and services include:
- Dining room
- Drawing room
- Library
- Billiard room with full-sized table
- Tennis court
- Croquet lawn
- Night staff - Flete House benefits from a 24-hour staff presence on site
- 12 acres of stunning landscaped grounds including a water garden and Italianate garden
- Residents and visitors parking
- Guest suite for family and friends
- A programme of events organised by the Flete House owners which currently include dinners, talks, gardening club, yoga, pub night, trips to local attractions and a croquet competition
- Flexible care packages are available through third parties at an additional cost
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How is it different from other Audley Villages?
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The management of Flete House is fundamentally different to Audley Villages, as set out above.
There is no swimming pool, gym, spa, restaurant, bar, or on site wellness services at Flete House, which you can typically expect from any Audley village.
As Flete House is managed by PBM, all staff are employed by PBM and not Audley.
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Are there any other fees payable?
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The service charge is set annually based on a budget. This is presented and discussed with apartment owners prior to the start of the new year.
On the resale of an apartment, a Reserve Fund Contribution and Sales Administration Fee are payable by the vendor.
The Reserve Fund Contribution escalates on an annual basis but is capped at 5% of the sale price. These monies are kept in a separate account and contribute to the long term maintenance of Flete House. This helps keep the Service Charge lower.
The Sales Administration Fee is 5% of the sale price and is payable to Audley for overseeing the administration of Flete House. This is the only fee that Audley receives for overseeing the management of Flete House. We have agreed that following the appointment of Plymouth Block only 2% will be payable to Audley and the remaining 3% will be invested in Flete House which could be a further contribution to the Reserve Fund or for marketing expenditure.
Apartment purchasers must take independent legal advice on the lease and associated charges.