8 AND 9, QUAY STREET

Details

LOSTWITHIEL QUAY STREET, Lostwithiel
SX 15 NW
10/127 Nos 8 and 9 (formerly listed as the
-
21.4.76 range of buildings incorporating
the remains of Stannary Prison)
GV II*

House, incorporating parts of the former Great Hall of the Duchy Palace, used as the
Stannary Prison; now 2 houses. The present form of the building dates from the
early-mid C18, incorporating structure from the Great Hall of the late C13.
Alterations and additions of the mid C19 and alterations of C20. Slatestone and
granite rubble with granite and Pentewan stone dressings; front wing to right faced
in artificial stone. Asbestos slate roof, hipped over main range and over front 2
wings.
The Great Hall ran on a north/south axis; the front wall of the left wing, the south
wall and the rear (west) wall, appear to be of late C13 construction. The north wall
also appears to be of this date, being the party wall with the Convocation Hall
(q.v.). The C18 building was an overall U-plan, with 2 front wings; it probably
originally had a central entrance, with principal room to right and left, and small
room in each front wing. The stair to rear left may be in its original position.
The room to left in the main range is heated by a fireplace in a free-standing flue,
leaving a passage space to the rear; in the rear wall, a recess which may be a former
oven, and a Pentewan stone arch which may have been a fireplace, suggest that this
may have been part of the Great Hall, no longer functional in the C18 and
incorporated in the present building. In the C19 a single storey addition was made
to the rear of No 8, for a kitchen, and a 2-storey addition was made to the rear of
No 9. In the late C20, the 3-storey front right wing was reduced to 2 storeys. No 8
is to left and No 9 to right.
Main range of 3 storeys, with 3-storey wing to left and 2-storey wing to right. At
ground floor the main range has single chamfered granite light of 8 panes, C20 12-
pane light, half-glazed door with timber lintel, possibly the main C18 entrance. The
right side of the main range forms part of No 9, with 4-pane sash at ground and first
floor. At first floor to left is a blocked window and two 12-pane sashes, all with
granite lintels. 3 single lights with granite surrounds under eaves, formerly
barred. The front wing to left is deeply chamfered off at the inner corner, and has
a blocked arched doorway to front, probably formerly part of the Great Hall; the
inner side of the wing has half-glazed door and C20 window at ground floor, two 12-
pane sashes with granite lintels at first floor, and 2 similar single lights at 2nd
floor, with granite surrounds, each of 8 panes. The wing to right, faced in C20
artificial stone, has half-glazed door to inner side; front has 4-pane sash at ground
floor and 4-pane sash with sidelights at first floor.
At the left side is a passage with flat arch, leading to the rear courtyard; at
ground floor to right is a single light with C20 glazing.
The rear has a 2-storey C19 addition with hipped roof to the rear of No 9, with two
4-pane sashes at first floor, 2 C20 windows and door at ground floor. To right,
there is a small single storey addition, probably of early C19, in rubble, raised to
right probably in early C20 with gable end. First floor of the main range has a 2-
light casement with granite lintel, set in a deep recess, at 2nd floor a single light
with granite surround under eaves. Over the passage at the left side, the front wall
has been rebuilt above the arch, but the rear wall extends unbroken over the arch,
with irregular joint over the southern side of the arch, partly rebuilt in brick.
The passage was probably created in the C18.
Interior The blocked entrance in the front left wing has a rear opposing doorway,
said to have been arched, with granite floor to the rear. In the rear wall is a
wide, chamfered segmental arch in Pentewan stone, with possible oven recess to left;
the arch has a chamfered granite mullion set in the centre, probably for additional
support when alterations were made in the C18. In the front left wing, there are 2
fireplaces in the end wall at ground floor, 3 at first floor and one at 2nd floor. To
rear left, a winder stair, rebuilt, rising to 2nd floor level, possibly originally a
service stair. The ground floor of the front wing has rough-hewn ceiling beams.
There is a free-standing fireplace to the rear of the room in the main range, forming
a rear lateral passage between the fireplace and the rear wall. At first floor,
there are 2 rooms in the main range, with passage along rear; these have doors of
double thickness, studded, with wide strap hinges hung directly on the pintles; at
2nd floor a further studded door to the room in the main range, where the Stannary
prisoners were housed. At 2nd floor, the upper part of the walls and the ceiling are
boarded, planks fixed with nails. There are 2 fireplaces on the rear wall. Roof
appears rebuilt in C19, with straight principal rafters, lapped at the apices, and
collars nailed to the faces of the principals.
Interior of No 9 not inspected.
The Duchy Palace was made up of a group of buildings, of which Nos 8 and 9 Quay
Street form an integral part. In spite of later alterations, they are important as
part of the group, and the windows at 2nd floor provide-evidence of their function in
the C18. Before this, Stannary prisoners were probably kept in another building in
part of the Duchy Palace, where there was also a weighing house and blowing house.
(Sources: Pounds, N.J.G.: The Duchy Palace at Lostwithiel, Cornwall, in The
Archaeological Journal, Volume 136, 1979).

Listing NGR: SX1047159707

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

70879

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
The Archaeological Journal in The Archaeological Journal, Vol. 136, (1979)

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.