Trehannick Farmhouse and service buildings to rear

Trehannick Farmhouse and Service Buildings

Farmhouse with service buildings to rear, possibly dating from the early 17th century or earlier, with substantial remodelling in the later 18th century. Parts were demolished before 1838, with further remodelling and extension in the mid 19th century.

The front range has a slate roof with hipped ends and raised eaves to the front, with ashlar stone rectangular end stacks. The rear wing on the right has a gable end with scantle slate roof and an early 17th-century moulded granite end stack, with a rendered side lateral stack that replaced an earlier 17th-century moulded granite stack. A gable end marks the stair projection to the rear centre, with a further gable end to the extension on the right hand rear wing.

The house plan comprises a front range of two rooms heated by end stacks, with a wide central entrance hall. A stair is located in a projection to the rear of the entrance hall. A wing of one room and passage plan opens off the rear of the right hand room, with a further service range of one room plan beyond. Two service rooms occupy an outshot to the rear of the left hand room. The earlier plan is uncertain; the house was probably originally much larger and of considerable status. The rear right hand wing retains several features of the early 17th century, whilst the front range has been remodelled and its date remains uncertain. Evidence suggests the front range may have originally been of three rooms, with signs of a blocked fireplace in the left hand side wall of the entrance hall. The remains of an early 17th-century high-quality plaster barrel-vaulted ceiling in the rear wing indicate that the first floor was used as a parlour or grand chamber. The ground floor use is uncertain, and the fireplace heated by the side lateral stack has been blocked. The 17th-century end stack to the rear wing now serves the fireplace in the circa 19th-century service range added to the rear gable end. This may indicate either that the house was truncated and the service range built on the site of an earlier room served by the 17th-century stack, or alternatively that the stack originally heated the first floor grand chamber or parlour and has been remodelled and reorientated. The stair to the rear of the entrance hall is probably of the 1840s, possibly replacing an earlier 18th-century stair. The service range to the rear of the left hand room has roughly chamfered ceiling beams, which may have been reused. Gilbert records in 1838 that the house had been partly demolished and converted into a farmhouse.

The exterior is two storeys with a symmetrical front of three windows. The ground floor has six-pane sashes with a central entrance porch flanked by two circa 18th-century granite Doric columns, infilled with circa 19th-century timber panels and a circa late 19th-century four-panel door. The first floor has three eight-pane sashes. The rear wing to the right has a 20th-century canted bay window on the ground floor.

The front range was remodelled in approximately the mid 19th century with a wide entrance hall and a stair of circa 1840s in a projection to the rear. A circa late 17th-century door to the rear outshot on the left of the stair has six raised and fielded panels. Two circa 18th-century two-panel doors access the first floor. The rear wing on the right has chamfered floor joists with straight cut stops.

The roof structure above the front range was replaced in approximately the late 19th century. At least three pieces of timber, possibly purlins with chamfer and hollow straight cut stops, have been inserted below the wall plate. These appear partly smoke-blackened and are possibly reused roof timbers from an open hall, though the evidence is tenuous. Above the rear wing are four raised cruck trusses with pronounced curved feet, morticed apices, dovetailed notched and lap-jointed collars and butt purlins with complete carpenters' marks. Below are the remains of a circa early 17th-century barrel-vaulted ceiling with plaster on the gable end and a plaster cornice on two sides decorated with a floral trail and strap work interspersed with undecorated shields.

To the rear of the house is a small courtyard. On the left is a single-storey bake-house of stone rubble with slate roof with gable ends and a large stone rubble stack. To the rear right is an open store with slate roof with gable ends supported on a line of unmoulded granite piers. Beyond is a small pig house of stone rubble with brick dressings and slate roof with louvered ventilator in the ridge.

According to Gilbert, the house bore a datestone inscribed 'FT 1500' and was mentioned by Norden as the seat of Richard Michell. It was the seat of the younger branch of the Carminow family until 1646, becoming the property of Sir James Smith in 1681.