Trecarrell Manor

Details

LEZANT TRECARRELL SX 37 NW 5/67 Trecarrel Manor (formerly listed 1.12.51 as Trecarrel Mansion)

GV I

Manor house, now farmhouse. Early C16 on earlier site for Sir Henry Trecarrel, left unfinished c1511 and then extended late C17 and late C18; later additions and alterations. Hall range of granite ashlar to long sides with roughly coursed slate-stone and polyphant to gable ends; roughly coursed slate-stone with granite quoins to farmhouse range, mainly rendered to west side. Slate roofs. Basic L-plan comprising hall range aligned south-west to north-east with evidence for former or intended solar at south-west end and range at right-angles to lower end, partly C16 but largely extended to north in C17. One storey with moulded plinth to hall range, 2 storeys to remainder. Hall Range: South side has tall 4-light window with ogee heads, transom, carved spandrels and intersecting panel tracery to top. 2 similar 4-centred 3-light windows to right, right with square-headed 4-light window below, probably inserted mid-C17, although mouldings and carved spandrels are reused early C16 work. Slightly recessed moulded 4-centred arch-way to right is entrance to screens- passage. Carved leaf spandrels with segmental tympanum above having carved leaf decoration and Trecarrel's arms impaling those of his wife's family, Kelway, to centre. C20 ledged door with internal strap hinges. Stepped buttress to south-east corner, east wall largely rebuilt above south-east corner, east wall largely rebuilt above granite blocks to base, top in mid-C20. Single-storey lean-to abutting. North side has two 3-light windows corresponding with those on south and moulded 4-centred arch with carved leaf decoration to spandrels to screens-passage. Tusking to either side of windows and integral lateral stack with tapering shaft immediately to right of right window. Neatly infilled segmental arch to far right probably led to external staircase to intended or demolished solar. Evidence for this solar is visible in west wall. Infilled fireplace with large granite lintel to ground floor and fireplace with moulded jambs and lintel with ogee-shaped cut at first-floor level to right. Also at this level to left is outline of part of a round-headed arch, probably associated with peep-hole visible internally. Tusking to right corner. East (farmhouse) Range: East side has 2-storey lean-to running most of length with straight joint to right, part to right being early C20. Main section of lean-to has 4 small chamfered mullion windows on each floor (outer on first floor with mullions removed), 2 to each side of moulded segmental arch with C20 boarded door, all with wooden casements except inner right on first floor which has leaded latticed lights. Windows and doorway have probably been moved out from previous front wall. Section to right of straight joint has doorway immediately to right and small casement on first floor to right. Main range has small inserted integral brick end stack to left, large granite ridge stack with chamfered drips and capping between third and fourth windows from left in lean-to and slender integral lateral brick stack at junction with lean-to (on line with straight joint); integral end stack to right is similar to ridge stack. Lean-to projection beneath. West Side: Section to left of ridge stack in 3 bays; tripartite horned glazing bar sashes, those to ground floor with slate-stone voussoirs and keystones to segmental heads. Central flat-roofed porch, reusing segmental head and carved spandrels of earlier arch, has 6-panel door, boarded to bottom. Section to right of ridge stack has infilled window on each floor to left and unhorned tripartite sash on each floor to right, ground-floor openings both segmental headed. Late C19 casement to far right on first floor. Interior: Hall range has moulded arch-braced collar truss roof in 10 short bays with moulded purlins forming 4 panels to each side of moulded ridge-piece. Celure at lower end has St Andrew's Cross to each panel, upper 3 on each side intersecting with foliated cross as at Church of St Michael, Lawhitton Rural CP (qv); richly moulded wall-plate. Doorway to north corner of east wall leads to former service end and has reset granite pillar adjoining in angle with north wall. Integral lateral stack has richly moulded granite fireplace with ogee cut to lintel and segmental-headed polyphant relieving arch. Fireplace with wood lintel at first-floor level to west-end inserted after mid-C17 flooring over at hall. Infilled rectangular slit peep-hole from intended solar to right Slate floor of hall is C20 and is raised to former dais end. Farmhouse range has infilled inglenook fireplaces, plastered-over ceiling beams, inset panelled wall cupboards -and plank doors. Panelled window shutters to unhorned-tripartite sash on ground floor to west side. North ground-floor room has richly decorated wooden cornice. C19 dog-leg staircase in hall behind 6-panel door has slender turned newels, stick balusters (2 to each tread) and carved open string. Further plank and panelled doors on first floor and wooden spiral staircase to roof space. This has C17 collar truss roof in 7 bays with through purlins to north of ridge stack. Access not possible to south of ridge stack but this section appears to have 5 jointed upper crucks, truncated to top, which are possibly contemporary, with hall roof. Local tradition records that Trecarrel abandoned work on the house in 1511 following the death of his infant son and turned his attention to the rebuilding of the Church of St Mary Magdalene, Launceston, which has the date 1511 on its south porch and several stylistic affinities to Trecarrel Manor. It is likely that Trecarrel originally envisaged a courtyard plan for his house but in the event only the south (hall) range and part of the east range (the section with the upper cruck roof) was built. It is possible that the east range was built as a detached kitchen block but positive evidence is lacking. Although the great number of early C16 architectural fragments on the site appear to be unused and were presumably abandoned on the cessation of building work, more may have been built than now survives. The reference to the chapel in 1405 (qv under Chapel of St Mary Magdalene) and the discovery in 1987 of a Romaneque capital show that there were buildings here before Trecarrel started work. The hall was probably still open to the roof in 1644 when Charles I stayed here but was floored over soon after and later used as a barn. The floor was removed and the hall restored in early 1960s. None of the hall windows is grooved for glazing and all have iron bars with transoms to which glass would have been fixed by twisted leading. Trecarrel was Mayor of Launceston in 1536 and 1543 and died in 1544. Scheduled Ancient monument, County No. 577. BOE pp 222-3; E M Jope, 'Cornish Houses, 1400-1700' in E M Jope(ed),Studies in Building History (1961), pp 202-4, pl xx; W G Hoskins The Making of the English Landscape (1977 edn), p 130 pl 30).

Listing NGR: SX3174978286

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

393656

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Jope, E M, Studies in Building History Cornish Houses 1400-1700, (1961), 202-4
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: Gloucestershire: The Cotswolds, (1970), 222-3
Hoskins, WG, The Making of the English Landscape, (1977), 130

End of official list entry

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