Tregarden

Tregarden is a large house in St Mabyn with a datestone of 1631 in the arch in front, though the building probably has earlier origins. It is constructed of stone rubble with a regular slate roof featuring gable ends. The chimneys are stone rubble axial stacks, partly rebuilt but retaining moulded early 17th-century granite caps. The projecting rear lateral stacks have circa 20th-century shafts.

The house has an E-shaped plan with a central two-storey porch. The front elevation is regular with a 1:2:1:1:1 window arrangement flanked by gable ends to projecting wings. The porch features a roll-moulded four-centred granite arch with carved spandrels, while the inner doorway has a four-centred arch with chamfered jambs—the right hand jamb with a ball stop and the left hand with a diagonal stop. The ground floor windows are four-light mullions with central king mullions, and the first floor has three-light mullion windows. The importance of the hall and chamber above is emphasised by each having two windows. Several windows retain 18th- or 19th-century casements, and some early leaded glass survives in situ.

Internally, a wide through passage runs axially and is blocked to the rear. On the higher left side are the hall and an inner room or parlour, separated by a lath and plaster partition probably replacing an earlier screen, with a stone rubble cross wall at the higher end. The hall is heated by a large fireplace in the rear lateral stack. A cross wing on the higher left contains the inner room, heated by an axial stack, with an 18th-century stair to the rear probably replacing an earlier one. On the lower right side, a large room (possibly parlour or kitchen) is heated by a rear lateral stack, with a front right wing room heated by an axial stack and a small probable dairy behind.

The hall retains a large hollow-chamfered fireplace with a late 17th-century door to an adjoining cupboard to the left. The higher end wall displays a fine quality plaster coat of arms of circa 17th-century date, repainted circa early 20th century, showing the heraldic arms of the Barrat, Bere, Trewin, Coade and Kestell families. Chamfered beams recorded by Lysons are no longer visible; oak panelling was removed before the early 19th century. The hall ceiling appears lowered, concealing the plasterwork above.

The parlour or inner room is heated by a late 16th- or early 17th-century granite fireplace with roll mould and central triangular motif with ball finial. An 18th-century stair to the rear has thick stick balusters, square newels and a deep moulded rail. Two first-floor rooms feature 17th-century ovolo-moulded doorcases with vase-shaped stops. Off the chambers above the hall and inner room are two probable 17th-century gardrobes or closets, retaining original 17th-century doors with cocks-head hinges and lit by small single-light windows with pointed heads, each constructed from a single piece of timber. The wardrobe above the hall adjoins the projection for the rear lateral stack and sits directly above a small ground-floor cupboard.

In the 19th century, a kitchen was added to the rear of the hall. In the 20th century, the rear elevation below the passage was partly altered and rendered. The roof structure appears to have been completely replaced in the 20th century.

Tregarden was the seat of the Beres, Barrets, Godolphins and Mitchells families. It appears in the 1664 Hearth Tax Returns with eight hearths.