When Donna Ida Thornton celebrated her half-century last year, it marked a turning point in her life. "Everything leading up to this was my training ground, and now I'm executing everything I learnt in the first 50 years," the Australian fashion designer tells HELLO! as she and her husband Robert Walton open the doors to their magnificent 16th-century manor house in Devon.
"I'm armed and dangerous now, and I feel amazing," adds the businesswoman, now 51, whose denim empire Donna Ida has earnt her the nickname 'Jean Queen' and a celebrity fanbase including Amanda Holden, Jodie Kidd, Anthea Turner and Millie Mackintosh. Part of Donna's new chapter in life is living out her dream of setting up home in the English countryside at Langdon Court.
With her creative flair and Robert’s status as the godfather of hospitality, counting top chefs Raymond Blanc and Heston Blumenthal among his inner circle, the couple had all bases covered when it came to overseeing a multimillion-pound restoration of the beautiful grade II-listed Jacobean manor house they bought in 2021. And as they welcome us for this exclusive photoshoot, it's clear to see that their labour of love has paid off.
"We're living a modern-day Good Life", says chef and restaurateur Robert, 68, who was awarded an MBE in 2007 for services to the hospitality industry. A classically stylish oasis nestled in the heart of the South Devon countryside, Langdon Court is not just a home for Donna and Robert - who married in London in 2012 - after meeting in after meeting in one of Donna's boutique stores – but a luxurious private-hire venue that plays host to weddings, photoshoots and wellness retreats.
The 16-bedroom residence, which features a jungle-inspired space named Palm Court, a film room and even a cosy tea-and-toast space, sits in ten acres of land and is home to a menagerie of animals including chickens, guinea fowl and geese – not to mention Donna and Robert's eight dogs...
Donna and Robert, you bought Langdon Court in 2021. How did you find this hidden gem?
Donna: "We were looking and one day, we saw a very pretty house. Bobby Dazzler [her nickname for Robert] said: 'Actually, that'’s a hotel.' That's when we got the idea that instead of looking for a big house, we should look for a small hotel. Because Bobby Dazzler is in hospitality, he put his feelers out and we found Langdon Court pretty quickly."
Robert: "I like to say that we didn’t find Langdon – Langdon found us. Its personality is addictive. The house was in a poor state, but we didn't see that – we loved it and it seemed to love us. Now, here we are."
You quickly set about returning the manor to its former glory. Tell us about the work you did...
Donna: "People tried to cover its beauty during the 1960s and 1970s. The Victorian tiles in Palm Courthad been boarded over, a big inglenook in the kitchen had been painted over and the flagstones in the kitchen hallway had lino covering them.
"It's insane, but fashion did go through that period when nobody wanted anything old. Thank God, all those original features were still there – we just had to reveal them. We finished work in September 2023 and had our first guests soon after."
Robert: "We renovated every inch, including the gardens. We rewired the place with 15 miles of wire. There are 500 years of history in this house and some amazing people have been through its doors.
"Prince Albert Edward, who became Edward VII, came here partying and shooting. When you look back at its history, you realise you’re just here for a short period of time in the house’s life."
Has living here transformed your lifestyle?
Donna: "Definitely. Living in the English countryside is a dream come true for me. It's beautiful; I love it here. It’s very green and very restful. We still travel back and forth to London for work once a week or so, and I still love going to London, but I really love coming home. We've gotthe best of both worlds."
The rose garden is a highlight of the grounds...
Donna: "Our rose garden is incredible; I absolutely love it. It's so nice to look out and enjoy it every single day. David Austin Roses very kindly provided us with roses to match the age of the house."
Robert: "The gardens are probably the most historic part of Langdon; they are the first part of the house that became listed. We have gorgeous old-fashioned rose varieties like Emily Brontë, Olivia Rose Austin and Gertrude Jekyll. The scent is mind-blowing. Donna has also planted a lavender bank and we've got 60,000 bees, so soon we'll have our own lavender Langdon honey."
Talk us through your menagerie...
Robert: "We've got five chihuahuas, which we call our Mexican army: Gonzalo, Rodrigo, Fernando, Eduardo and Emilio. We also rescued three shiba inus; the mum is called Queen of Shiba and the two little girls are Coco and Momo.
"We have 30 birds, including ten geese, which we rescued from a farmer who was going to sell them for Christmas, as well as ducks, chickens that produce our eggs, guinea fowl, pheasants, partridges..."
Donna: "And we have four lovebirds who live in Palm Court. They're called Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista and Jodie Kidd. Oh, and we'd like a couple of donkeys!"
The dogs have their own apartment...
Robert: "We call them the chihuahua stables."
Donna: "They’re on the same floor as us, so they get to be with Mummy and Daddy. It’s so cute."
What are your plans for Langdon Court?
Robert: "It feels more of a home than a hotel. We love the idea of people taking it over, so it’s very much a private-hire venue. It can be a shooting weekend, a photoshoot or a party; it’s a venue for everything."
Donna: "I host a pyjama party every three months. I recently launched our Langdon Court Manor home-inspired collection: we have pyjamas, kimonos, body scrubs, bath milk, fudge, strawberry jam, our own exclusive candle created by Rachel Vosper – and it will continue to grow.
"Devon is very much about community spirit and we have immersed ourselves in local life. We'd love to host charity events at Langdon in the future, raising funds for local causes such as schools, homeless shelters, hospitals and the RNLI."
How would you describe the decor of the house?
Donna: "We went for design that evokes a comfortable, modern country house. All the rooms are individually styled, so there are different moods in each one."
Donna, how’s it going at your brand Donna Ida?
"Fashion is my first love, so it’s great that now Langdon’s complete, I can be back working full-time on Donna Ida and continuing to expand. Last year, we launched a classic men’s shape called Jack, named after my grandfather."
The brand was inspired by your grandmother Ida. Is her memory still a part of everything you do?
"Very much so. She used to make all her own patterns out of newspapers and make clothes for the family. She was an amazing housewife in rural Australia. She was very much a can-do woman."
You celebrated your 50th birthday last year. Are you feeling better than ever?
"Yes, definitely. Everything leading up to being 50 was my training ground, and now I’m executing everything I learnt in the first 50 years. I’m armed and dangerous now, and I feel amazing."
"It was a good thing, turning 50 – you have that feeling of being at a halfway point. Bring on the second half."
It has been 14 years since your lavish wedding at St Paul's Cathedral, which involved helicopters, a Rolls-Royce Phantom, a cake from The Ritz and a room dedicated to desserts. What's the secret to your happy marriage?
Donna: "I'm very, very independent and I think Bobby Dazzler letting me do whatever I want to do is probably the secret [laughs]. I just crack on and do whatever I want and then Bobby tries to contain me a little bit."
Robert: "I gave that up! I think the secret is that we're both driven and creative. We're together when we're together, but we both do our thing. Neither of us tries to outdo the other. And Donna's straight-talking, so you know where you are."
Robert, as president of the Restaurant Association and chairman of the Young Chef Young Waiter competition, you're the godfather of hospitality...
"I want to make Langdon Court the home of hospitality. I'm planning to organise an event where I invite legendary chefs like Raymond Blanc and Gordon Ramsay to sit around my table and talk.
"We're in talks to make the Young Chef YoungWaiter competition into a TV series, which would be amazing. It goes all around the world, so between that and running Langdon Court, I'm always zipping off somewhere. There's zero downtime when you live with Donna Ida."
You had tongue cancer seven years ago. How are you doing now?
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"I had radical treatment and what happens is not very pleasant, because your taste buds get killed. You have to learn to taste again. There are things I don't have now, like wine and spirits, because they don't taste nice any more. The funny thing is, I can only drink champagne, as that still tastes good!"
INTERVIEW: EMILY HORAN
PHOTOS: DAVID VENNI
STYLING: EMMA LANE AT THE ONLY AGENCY
HAIR & MAKE-UP: GIA MILLS
For more information, visit langdoncourtmanor.com or follow @langdoncourtmanor on Instagram.