Details
COLAN
SW 86 SW
5/14 Rialton Manor
10.2.67
GV II*
House; formerly belonging to Bodmin priory, later becoming a farmhouse. C15 origin ;
enlarged and altered in early C16 for Prior Vyvyan of Bodmin; with later alterations
of C18, C19 and C20. Slatestone rubble with granite dressings. Slate roof of C19,
partly slurried, with crested ridge tiles and gable ends. Gable end stack to right
and left with shaped granite tops; axial stack.
Plan: Rialton Manor is the remains of a formerly much larger house, which would
originally have had a front courtyard. The main range appears to consist of the hall
and one room ; the hall is to right, heated from a gable end stack to right; it was
originally heated from an open hearth. The through passage, with the rear door
blocked, has a solid masonry wall to left, with an inserted fireplace (the axial
stack) and no partition remaining on the right-hand side. There is one room to left,
heated from a gable end stack. The stacks were probably inserted at the time of the
major alterations of the early C16. A wide 2-storey porch was added to the front of
the passage, with a stone vaulted entrance and a small store room to right ; to left
is a closet which may be the site of a stair tower. At first floor, a chamber was
created in the centre of the house partly over the hall and including the front bay.
Probably in C18, a one-room plan addition was made to the right end, as a kitchen,
with gable end stack with oven. The house may formerly have extended further at the
left end, where the masonry is stepped back at first floor level ; the left end room
does not appear to be large enough for a lower end room servicing a large hall.
There is an enclosed courtyard to the front of the house.
Exterior: Asymmetrical 2-storey front, with-a 2-storey porch tower set off-centre to
left, with hollow-moulded cornice and embattled parapet. The porch tower has 4-
centred arched doorway, with Pevsner A-type piers and relieving arch, C20 double
doors. The interior of the porch has stone vaulted roof with moulded ribs and
convex-moulded wall plate, slate paved floor. This was formerly used as a dairy,
when the house was a farmhouse. At first floor there are three 3-light mullion and
transom windows, with 3-centred arched lights above the transoms; between the two
windows to left is a wide mullion with two vertical panels with blind cusped arches
the wide mullion to right is similar with only one vertical panel. Lattice glazing
with iron stanchions of early C16. Below the window to left is a stone quatrefoil,
originally lighting the stair. The right side of the porch tower has a 2-centred
arched hollow-chamfered doorway with C20 door, leading to the store room which has
only external access. To left of the porch, there is a C20 2-light casement at
ground and first floor, both with hollow-chamfered granite jambs and C19 segmental
arch. To left, C20 glazed door. To right of the porch there are two 2-light
casements at ground and first floor, with segmental arches. The end addition to
right has C20 2-light casement at first floor and C20 inserted door at ground floor.
The left gable end has the masonry stepped back at first floor level, with granite
quoins only at ground floor level. The right gable end has external stepped stack
with oven at the base; C20 2-light window with segmental arch at ground floor. At
the rear, all windows are C20; straight joint to the addition to left. 3 windows at
first floor and 3 at ground floor, all 2-light casements, with segmental arches.
Second from left and second from right a C20 glazed door. At first floor, the window
to right has granite roll-moulded recessed surround, with the stooling for a mullion,
formerly a 2-light window. The addition to left has 2-light casement at ground and
first floor.
Interior: The passage and room to right are now all one room, with C20 stair
inserted. The ceiling has three heavy moulded beams with roll-mouldings. The
fireplace is inserted, with a stone surround removed from the courtyard, with carved
inscription: Edward and St Petroc. The room to left is at lower floor level and has
three chamfered beams. Fireplace with granite basket arch and recessed spandrels,
removed from the first floor room to left. Deep splayed reveals to the window. The
doorway to the stair tower (now a closet) is narrow, with wooden chamfered surround
and 4-centred arch. At first floor to right, 4 bays of the wagon roof over the hall
survive, with carved ribs and wall-plate and carved bosses, with cross braces between
the ribs. Painted in C20. There is a stud partition to the front first floor
chamber. This room has a wooden chamfered doorway with 4-centred arch to the former
stair at the front. In the front bay window there is stained glass of the early C16,
a shield with arms, 3 fishes, and initials.
Sources: Pevsner, N.: Buildings of England: Cornwall 1970. Rowse, A.L.: Rialton,
near Newquay: A Cornish Monastic Manor, Country Life, September 26, 1941.
Excursions through Cornwall, 1823, contains an engraving of Rialton, by J. Greig
after a drawing by F.W.L. Stockdale, showing the inner courtyard with a wing
extending to front left and right.
Listing NGR: SW8476762233
