World’s first flatpack home: Inside Grade II-listed home that was taken apart …

Posted on by Listify Me
  • Grade-II listed Burton Hall in Devon is on the market for £500,000
  • Property was built in Norway in the 1870s, then painstakingly dismantled
  • Wool merchant John Fulford fell in love with house on trip to Scandinavia
  • The building was then shipped to England in sections and rebuilt
  • Nine-bedroom home still has much of its original cladding and features
  • Was built eight

By
Lucy Crossley


PUBLISHED:

17:01 GMT, 20 January 2014

|
UPDATED:

17:58 GMT, 20 January 2014

The world’s first-ever flat pack home that was shipped to Britain 140 years ago is on the market – for £500,000.

Grade II-listed Burton Hall was built in Norway in the 1870s then painstakingly dismantled and sent to England in sections.

The historic country nine-bedroom mansion was rebuilt in North Tawton, Devon, close to Dartmoor National Park.

Historic: Grade II-listed Burton Hall, which was built in Norway in the 1870s then dismantled and sent to England in sections, is on the market for £500,000

Historic: Grade II-listed Burton Hall, which was built in Norway in the 1870s then dismantled and sent to England in sections, is on the market for £500,000

Features: The house still has most of its cladding and hand-painted art nouveau decoration, as well as fretted ceiling roses and cornices, original doors and a wide sweeping staircase

Features: The house still has most of its cladding and hand-painted art nouveau decoration, as well as fretted ceiling roses and cornices, original doors and a wide sweeping staircase

Location: After it was shipped from Norway the historic country nine-bedroom mansion was rebuilt in North Tawton, Devon, close to Dartmoor National Park

Location: After it was shipped from Norway the historic country nine-bedroom mansion was rebuilt in North Tawton, Devon, close to Dartmoor National Park

John Fulford, a wealthy wool merchant, is believed to have fallen in love with the house on his travels to Scandinavia.

He returned home and had the 6,000 sq ft timber property brought back with him to Devon – where it has withstood the elements for nearly a century and a half.

Since then the sturdy, spacious dwelling, also known as the Old Norse Lodge, has served as both a family home and a snooker club.

Dream home: John Fulford, a wealthy wool merchant, is believed to have fallen in love with the house on his travels to Scandinavia

Dream home: John Fulford, a wealthy wool merchant, is believed to have fallen in love with the house on his travels to Scandinavia

Uses: The sturdy, spacious dwelling, also known as the Old Norse Lodge, has served as both a family home and a snooker club

Uses: The sturdy, spacious dwelling, also known as the Old Norse Lodge, has served as both a family home and a snooker club

The home was built decades before Ikea rolled out its own flat-pack BoKlok homes in Gateshead in 2007.

Estate agent Helmore is marketing it as an ‘incredible mid-Victorian detached mansion house with a fascinating history’.

The structure still has most of its cladding and hand-painted art nouveau decoration, as well as fretted ceiling roses and cornices, original doors and a wide sweeping staircase.

Sales pitch: Estate agent Helmore is marketing it as an 'incredible mid-Victorian detached mansion house with a fascinating history'

Sales pitch: Estate agent Helmore is marketing it as an ‘incredible mid-Victorian detached mansion house with a fascinating history’

Intriguing: The house was built decades before Ikea rolled out its own flat-pack BoKlok homes in Gateshead in 2007

Intriguing: The house was built decades before Ikea rolled out its own flat-pack BoKlok homes in Gateshead in 2007

A spokesman the estate agent said: ‘The nine bedroomed accommodation is extremely capacious and extends to over 6000 square feet, plus a large basement.

‘Its current arrangement includes two internal annexes – one on the ground floor and the other on the first floor – although there is so much flexibility in possible layouts that this could easily be altered to suit.

‘Burton Hall is one of the most intriguing and fascinating properties I’ve seen in many years. It has an incredible presence and certainly wouldn’t look out of place on a film set.’


Comments (17)

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splittingsound,

Rural East Yorkshire, United Kingdom,

1 hour ago

It looks like something from Chainsaw Massacre

tangerinedream,

Dry Heat, United States,

3 hours ago

I think he wasted his money..

Deena,

London,

3 hours ago

Could do with a little makeover, but the outside of the home is pretty cute!

victoria,

greenville,

4 hours ago

I like it just get rid of the furniture.

Frances US,

Lynn,

4 hours ago

I see the decorator quit:-)

Sandy Brown,

London,

4 hours ago

It is OK but not a favourite of mine.

Cheryl,

Maritimes, Canada,

4 hours ago

Love the house, but iffy on the decorator.

Woman,

St. Petersburg, Russia,

5 hours ago

And what a dainty, shabby, whimsy and beautiful house! I would do the same, if I had millions 🙂 John Fulford has for sure a very good and unique taste. Enjoy your stay and stay safe!

Turid,

Oslo, Norway,

5 hours ago

Note the overhang on the roof, stops the walls and windows getting soaked and prevents rot, always wondered how a wooden house would do here, this proves its possible, century and a half.

Corbycom,

London, United Kingdom,

4 hours ago

The Norwegians built well in wood and have even developed a special paint. This house will still be there in another 100 years – wish I had the money to buy it.

Yesofcourse,

Lunnun, United Kingdom,

5 hours ago

I’ve tried looking for this on various estate agent websites and can’t find it. Want to buy it!

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