Tregarton Farmhouse

Tregarton Farmhouse

A farmhouse dating from the 17th century, with additions made in the 18th century and alterations carried out in the 19th and 20th centuries. The building is constructed of slatestone rubble with granite dressings, and is roofed with hipped, slurried scantle slate with ridge tiles.

The original plan follows a 3-room and cross passage arrangement. The lower end room is positioned to the right, heated from an end stack with a brick shaft. The hall occupies the centre, heated from a rear lateral stack with a brick shaft. The upper end room is to the left, heated from an end stack. An outshut behind the lower end room, probably dating from the 19th century, was originally a dairy. Around the late 18th century, a wing was added to the front left, containing one room heated from an axial stack with a brick shaft, a stair hall with a front entrance, and a small inner room. An open-fronted shed with brick shafts, likely of 19th-century date, is attached to the front and left side of this wing. A single-storey outshut is situated at the left end, continuing to the rear left behind the upper end room. During the 19th century, the partition wall between the original entrance passage and the lower end room was removed, and a new rear lateral passage was constructed along the rear of the hall, with a new rear lateral fireplace inserted in the hall.

The exterior displays two storeys, with the main range presenting an asymmetrical 3-window front. At first-floor level are three 19th-century 16-pane sashes. The ground floor contains two 19th-century 16-pane sashes with sidelights and an off-centre doorway to the passage positioned to the right. The doorway features a chamfered granite surround with a 3-centred arch and a 6-panelled 18th-century door with strap hinges on the inside. The left wing is two storeys tall; on its inner side is a 19th-century 4-panelled and glazed door with a cambered stone arch, keystone, and 19th-century hood on posts. At first-floor level is a 19th-century 16-pane sash. The front gable end of the wing has a 19th-century 16-pane sash with cambered stone arch and projecting keystone at ground-floor level, and a 19th-century 16-pane sash at first-floor level. An open-fronted shed with two doorways is attached to the front end of the wing, continuing as a lean-to along its left side. The right end of the house features a single-storey lean-to with a 19th-century 2-light 4-pane casement at the front. This lean-to continues around the rear of the house, behind the lower end room, as the dairy, which has a plank door at the right side and a 2-light 4-pane casement at the rear. At the left end of the house is an external stack, with a 16-pane sash at ground-floor level to the left and a 20-pane sash at first-floor level to the left, both of 19th-century date. A small single-storey lean-to is situated at the right. At the rear, the rear lateral stack is external, with a window inserted at its base. A single-storey lean-to to the right has a window on its inner side. At first-floor level to the right is a 20th-century window.

The interior reveals that the doorway to the cross passage now leads directly into the kitchen, which has a slate floor and an end fireplace with a 19th-century surround and mantel. The fireplace formerly contained a cloam oven. A service stair with stick balusters has been inserted at the rear of the room. The front window features deep splayed reveals. The dairy outshut is situated to the rear of the kitchen. The rear lateral corridor contains the rear lateral fireplace from the original hall, which now has an inserted cloam oven and includes a cupboard with a door featuring left-hand hinges. The upper end room has a 20th-century fireplace, rebuilt, and a slate floor, with the rear window featuring a window seat. The central hall contains a rear lateral fireplace, rebuilt in the 20th century. In the front wing, the stair hall contains a tight open-well stair with stick balusters and a rounded handrail. At first-floor level, rooms are also partitioned by a rear lateral corridor. The roof over the main range dates from the 18th century, constructed with principal rafters halved and crossed at the apex, two rows of purlins resting on the backs of the principals, and collars pegged to the sides of the principals.

Tregarton Farmhouse was the medieval residence of the Tregarthen family, which became extinct in 1503. During the 17th century it belonged to the Trevanion family, and was later owned for a time by the Tremaynes of Heligan in St Ewe.