Castle Drogo, Devon

Looks 12th Century, but built between 1910 and 1930.

The last Castle built in England and the last house built entirely of granite.

Castle Drogo was built as the country seat of Julius Drewe, the founder of Home and Colonial Stores - thus the link to Past Empires.

Drew was the son of a clergyman and a French artist. after attending Bedford School he left for China at the age of 18 where he worked as a tea buyer. He opened his first shop in Liverpool in 1878 at the age of 21. In 1883 he moved to London and expanded his business under the name Home and Colonial Tea Association. By 1889 he and his partner were able to retire from active participation in the firm as extremely rich men. In 1919 they sold their outstanding share for £3.5m - estimated at £193m at today's prices).

Drewe's family came from Drewsteignton nearby and when he wanted a country estate he asked Edwin Lutyens to build a castle in Dartmoor. The Castle was started in 1911 and after many delays caused by the War and the Economy it was completed in 1930, although on a reduced scale to that originally envisaged by Lutyens. It commands magnificent views over Dartmoor and has medieval and Tudor styling, whilst being packed with the mod-cons of the 20s inside - lifts, electricity run by river turbines, a table football table, telephone switchboard etc.