Mount Edgcumbe House

Mount Edgcumbe House is a country house with origins in the mid-16th century, substantially altered in the 19th century, then gutted and rebuilt in 1958 (as dated to the rear). The structure is constructed of random sandstone rubble with rendered and lined-out plinth, granite dressings throughout, and a plain tiled roof. The original mid-16th century design has been largely preserved in the rebuilt form.

The house follows a square plan with octagonal towers at each corner. The front elevation is two storeys tall with a central two-storey porch and three-storey octagonal towers flanking the ends. The entrance porch features a two-centred arched roll-moulded doorway with roundels in the spandrels, a two-light overlight with moulded corbel above, pilasters to the sides, and a frieze with a segmental broken pediment bearing a shield and cornucopiae in the tympanum. Above the porch is a granite mullioned window of four lights with king mullion, wave-moulded with ogee-headed lights and carved spandrels; this window appears to be original to the mid-16th century structure. Other windows are of similar design but with two lights; some windows on other elevations are facsimiles. The front elevation has three bays to each side of the porch; the two inner bays have two-light windows at ground and first-floor levels, while the outer bay has four-light windows at both levels. A cill band, cornice, and embattled parapet run around all the centre bays including the porch. The corner towers have two-light windows on each side at each floor, with band courses, modillion cornice, and embattled parapet.

The left elevation features a central two-storey canted bay with a four-centred arched doorway with overlight, two single lights to right and left, two two-light windows and a single light to each side at first-floor level, and an embattled parapet. Bays to the right and left of this central feature each contain a three-light window at ground and first-floor levels. An octagonal rubble stack stands to the inner side of the right tower, with windows matching those of the front. A stair turret is positioned to the inner side of the left tower, with lancet windows, cornice, and embattled parapet.

The right elevation presents five central bays with first-floor windows of two, three, four, three, and two lights respectively. At ground floor, a four-centred arched roll-moulded doorway with quatrefoils in the spandrels is positioned (this appears to be re-used from the original structure), with three-, four-, three-, and two-light windows to its right. Eight steps lead to the doorway, and six multi-pane basement windows are present below. The left tower has a two-light window at ground-floor level, and the right tower has a two-light window at first-floor level.

The rear elevation includes a central two-storey canted bay with a four-light window to the front and single lights to the sides. Two bays to the right contain four-light windows at ground floor and three-light windows at first floor. Three bays to the left have two three-light and one two-light window at first-floor level; at ground-floor level there is a three-light window to the left and a two-light window to the right, with a central four-centred arched doorway featuring a surround of three chamfered orders. A cill string, cornice, and embattled parapet run around this elevation. The left tower has a two-light window, and the right tower has a two-light window.

The interior has not been inspected.