Trewithen House

Trewithen House is a country house built in 1723, with later additions by Thomas Edwards around 1738 and Sir Robert Taylor between the 1750s and 1760s. The house is constructed of granite ashlar, Pentewan stone ashlar, and stucco, topped with hipped slate roofs and rendered stacks. It has a double depth plan with a central staircase and stands two storeys tall.

The north front features a symmetrical arrangement of 2:5:2 bays, with the outer bays projecting slightly. The facade is finished in incised stucco with granite keystones. A rusticated round arched stone doorcase at the center contains an 18th-century fielded panelled door, flanked by sidelights and topped with a semi-circular arched fanlight. The doorcase is supported by paired brackets that hold up a cornice adorned with mutules. Original 18th-century twelve-paned sash windows with crown glass and heavy ovolo moulded glazing bars are present on all fronts, complemented by granite sills and a moulded cornice at the parapet. Hipped dormers are positioned above.

The east front, likely dating from 1723, is made of granite ashlar and features a 2:3:2 bay arrangement. It has canted central bays with a central door that includes a projecting keystone. This facade also has a plinth, plain lintels, and flanking pilasters with moulded cornices. The windows in the left two bays are glazed but have been blocked behind.

The south front is constructed of Pentewan stone ashlar and also has a 2:5:2 bay layout, with the central bay projecting forward and being taller. The central doorcase features a pulvinated frieze and consoles that support a moulded cornice. The central bays have window architraves and bracketed sills, with a moulded parapet cornice similar to that of the doorcase.

Inside, the house boasts many fine rooms, including a pine panelled central east room with an Ionic doorcase leading to a southeast oak panelled room that showcases good Ionic detailing. The central south room features arcaded screens at the west and east ends, with three semi-circular arches springing from capitals and complete Ionic entablatures in the Roman style, behind which are plaster vaulted ceilings. The fireplace wall is decorated with Rococo arabesques. The main central cantilevered staircase has a semi-circular open well and a wreathed handrail over the newel, while another central stair features a geometric balustrade with oriental inspiration.