Anvoaze Farmhouse

Summary

Cottage and farmhouse, now house; cottage probably early C19 (modernised in mid-C20), farmhouse constructed in around 1870. Rear extensions added to farmhouse in around 1977 and 2006.

Reasons for Designation

Anvoaze Farmhouse, near Grade Ruan, Cornwall is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Architectural interest:

* the 1870s farmhouse retains its plan and a good proportion of fabric;
* the use of Serpentine from the Lizard peninsular and Cornish granite in the construction of the house adds to its regional distinctiveness;
* whilst altered, the attached pre-1840 dwelling retains some features of note and contributes to the understanding of the development of the farmstead in the mid C19;

Historic interest:

* Anvoaze is documented from the early C19 and may have earlier origins;
* for its development from the 1860s as part of an important and flourishing estate during a comprehensive period of farm building in Cornwall.

History

The first known record of Anvoaze farm is the 1813 Ordnance Survey (OS) map where the site is marked as ‘Voage’. The 1841 Tithe map shows the site (‘Voaze’) comprising a domestic building, probably a cottage, orientated north to south with detached buildings to its east and west. The buildings were the property of Viscount Falmouth as part of the Tregothnan Estate who, in 1869, advertised for contractors to build a barn and cattle house at Anvoaze. The following year the estate advertised for a contractor for additions to the dwelling house and construction of an enclosing wall; this probably relates to the construction of a large new farmhouse attached to the earlier dwelling. In 1872 and 1873 the farm was further enlarged with the addition of a cattle house, stable, cart shed and gig house. Census records show that in 1871 the farm was occupied by William Hocking and his wife and daughter, but by 1881 they had been joined by three sons under the age of eight. Whilst perhaps dictated by the landowners, the new farmhouse was clearly convenient for the expanding family, and new outbuildings were required for a flourishing farm.

The 1879 OS map shows the development of the farm in more detail. The earlier dwelling is shown as the north half of a north-south range to the west; with a further range of agricultural buildings east-west to the south; and the new farmhouse abutting the older one on its west side to the north. The farmstead formed a U-shaped plan facing east, with a further detached outbuilding (probably the gig shed) near a pond to the east. The new farmhouse is shown with a porch to the south, and a small extension to the north, probably a coal house.

In 1901 Anvoaze Farm, occupied by William Rowe, were advertised to let by the Tregothnan Estate. The farm was occupied by Francis Saunders from 1902 who farmed there until 1913. In 1917 the tenant farmer was Philip Exelby. In 1920 the farm and other parts of the Tregothnan Estate around the Lizard peninsular were advertised for sale; Anvoaze Farm was withdrawn from the sale as the reserve was not reached. However, it appears that Exelby continued to farm there and may even have bought the property as in 1936 it was advertised for auction as his freehold comprising a dwelling house with dining room, sitting room, kitchen, dairy, pantry, larder and six large bedrooms, and agricultural buildings including various cow houses, a stable, three piggeries, an implement house and garage.

A mid-C20 photograph shows that the farmhouse had three ridge stacks, that the openings on the east elevation of the earlier dwelling were more scattered and that a linhay abutted its south side.

The farm was sold again in 1961 and in around 1977 the rear coal house was demolished and a garage with bedroom above constructed slightly further to the east; the earlier dwelling was also refurbished at this time. An early C17 carved oak chimneypiece with elaborate overmantle was photographed in the kitchen of the C19 farmhouse in 1984 when the building was first listed; it is thought to have been brought in from elsewhere in the previous two decades but had been removed by 1999. The third chimney stack had also been removed by 1984. A single-storey extension was added to the west of the garage in 2006.

Details

Cottage and farmhouse, now house; cottage probably early C19 (modernised in mid-C20), farmhouse constructed in around 1870. Rear extensions added to farmhouse in around 1977 and 2006.

MATERIALS: the cottage is probably of cob construction on a rubble stone plinth and is largely rendered. The farmhouse is of rubble stone construction, including blocks of Serpentine, with slate cills, Cornish granite lintels to the ground floor and granite quoins. The north elevations are rendered. Both have slate roofs, probably replaced in the late C20, with red brick stacks to the farmhouse. Mid-C20 timber sash and casement windows throughout.

PLAN: both buildings are two storeys and form an L-shaped plan, with the cottage to the west and farmhouse to the north. Both buildings are one room deep with corridors to the east and south respectively.

EXTERIOR: the principal elevation of the cottage presents to the west and is asymmetrical with four bays and a small single-storey late-C20 extension between the third and fourth bays. The roof is pitched with rendered gable stacks. The north elevation is blind, and the south elevation is attached to the western range of Anvoaze Barn (not included in the List entry). The east elevation faces into a small courtyard and has a rubble stone plinth with a recessed section to the right (possibly evidence of a lost window), rendered above. There is a late-C20 stable door to the right where the two buildings adjoin. The window openings contain many-paned casements of various sizes, with two sash windows above the east entrance door.

The farmhouse is taller than the cottage and has an asymmetrical four bay front, facing south. The roof is hipped with two stepped ridge stacks. On the ground floor are three sash windows, with a rubble-stone porch to right of centre with a slate hipped roof and ventilation slits and recessed glazed and panelled front door. On the first floor are four sash windows. The east elevation comprises a central sash window at both levels. To its right is the 1977 two-storey extension with a pitched roof to the height of the farmhouse eaves; it comprises a garage with timber double doors on the ground floor and a half dormer and ground floor window with timber casements to its left. The north elevation is largely obscured by mid and late-C20 extensions: to the left is the two-storey extension with sash and casement windows to the first floor, and to the right a single storey extension with monopitch roof, above which is a sash window on the farmhouse. The west elevation is attached to the cottage.

INTERIOR: the cottage is linked to the farmhouse at the south-east corner of its northern room (lounge), at the ground floor, through an inserted opening in the cottage wall. A substantial spine beam runs north to south on the ground floor. The northern room and the southern room (kitchen) each has a large rubble stone inglenook fireplace to the gable wall: the northern fireplace has an internal alcove, timber lintel and one granite upright; and the southern fireplace has a domed bread oven. There are several blocked window openings: one in the cupboard to the right of the lounge fireplace, and one in the middle first-floor bedroom. Some joinery may be late C19. The cottage has otherwise been modernised internally and is of lesser interest.

The main entrance into the farmhouse is through the porch on the south elevation, which leads to an entrance hall with doors to a lounge to the east and kitchen to the west, and the principal staircase to the north. On the west wall of the lounge is a fireplace, of granite blocks with part of a granite drainage gully as its lintel. The kitchen has C19 ceiling joists, and on the left of the east wall is a C19 cupboard. To the north of the kitchen is the C21 extension, containing a snug and utility room. The staircase is dogleg, two flights with a half landing to the north, with spandrel panelling, chamfered newels with globe finials, pendants, and a turned baluster. Off the half landing is a deep arched doorway with an early C19-style timber surround and keystone; this is likely to be reclaimed or a mid-C20 reproduction as the opening dates to the construction of the 1977 extension. On the first floor are two bedrooms and a modern bathroom. The east bedroom has a reclaimed C19 cast-iron fire surround and grate, and the west bedroom has a granite chimney breast but no fireplace.

Door and window openings have roll-moulded arrises. C19 joinery includes moulded architraves, four-panelled doors (those to the first floor much simpler, or modern), and deep skirting boards. Some of the skirting boards are C21 reproductions.

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

64582

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Websites
Heritage Gateway: Cornwall & Scilly Historic Environment Record, accessed 20/02/2026 from https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=MCO76126&resourceID=1020

Other
Ordnance Survey, Cornwall (1816)
Tithe map, Grade parish, 1841
Ordnance Survey, Cornwall (1879) (1:2500)
Mid-C20 photograph of Anvoaze (supplied by owner)
Listing resurvey archive photographs, 5 July 1984 (supplied by Cornwall HER)
Royal Cornwall Gazette, April 29 1869
West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser, June 2 1870
Royal Cornwall Gazette, June 15 1872
St Austell Star, August 8 1901
Cornishman, September 22 1920
Cornishman, June 23 1938
Sale catalogue, outlying portions of the estates of Viscount Falmouth, The Lizard, 18 September 1920 (Kresen Kernow: X267/8/5)

End of official list entry

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