Trevelver And Arch Reset In Wall On North East

Trevelver and Arch Reset in Wall on North East

Remains of a manor house, now a farmhouse, with an arch reset in the wall on the north-east side. The building dates from the late 16th or early 17th century, remodelled in the late 17th century. The south range was demolished around the mid-18th century. Further remodelling occurred in the mid-19th and mid-20th centuries. A fire in the mid-20th century partly demolished the south wing.

Construction is of stone rubble with dressed granite quoins. The roofs are bitumen-coated rag and scantle slate, with a gable end on the west, a hipped end on the east, and a gable end to the front wing on the south. The south gable end was rebuilt in the mid-20th century. The building features a truncated projection of a stone rubble side lateral stack heating the west range, with a brick stack on the west gable end. A projecting stone rubble side lateral stack and brick shaft heating the south range includes a mid-20th century rendered brick stack in the south gable end.

The farmhouse comprises a fragment of a much larger manor house. A painted panel in the parlour, dating to around the 1690s, illustrates the original house with a central four-window range, an entrance to the right of centre, and two front gabled wings, probably forming a U-shaped plan overall. The existing house likely comprises the left-hand wing, now the west wing, and the left-hand side of the central range, which forms the present south wing. The mid-20th century fire demolished the through passage at the lower side of the present south wing.

The existing south wing originally comprised the hall, with a through passage at the lower side on the south, a hall fireplace heated by a side lateral stack, and a hall bay adjoining to the north. The west probably served as a parlour wing and was originally heated by a side lateral stack. Around 1690, this range was remodelled and partitioned, with a small panelled parlour at the west end. The side lateral stack was blocked and a fireplace was inserted in the west gable end. Around the 18th century, the probable service range forming the right-hand front wing was demolished. Around the mid-19th century, the room on the higher side of the hall was remodelled and a stair inserted at the angle between the west and south ranges. The mid-20th century fire demolished the remains of the range on the lower side of the through passage and largely gutted the lower side of the hall, with the south gable end wall rebuilt in line with the lower partition of the passage and entrance doors blocked.

The building is two storeys. The unaltered north elevation facing the road comprises the north side of the west wing, with windows disposed to the left of centre and a projection of a truncated lateral stack on the right. Both ground and first floor feature a mullion window with chamfered jambs and hood mould. The garden front of the west elevation of the south wing and the south elevation of the west wing were partly remodelled in the 19th century and refenestrated in the 20th century, with a 20th century glazed extension added. The unaltered east elevation of the south wing features a projecting side lateral hall stack on the left and a hall bay adjoining with a 3-light mullion window on the ground floor. To the right are a 19th century 2-light casement and a part glazed 20th century door, with 19th century 2-light and 3-light casements above.

Interior: The hall in the south wing contains a corbelled granite fireplace of the late 16th or early 17th century with a 20th century grate. The parlour at the west end of the west wing features complete bolection moulded panelling dating to around the late 17th century, including a chair rail, moulded cornice, double door with raised and fielded panelling, and doorcase. The parlour is decorated with exceptionally unusual topographical sketches and a painting of around 1690. The cornice is illustrated with fine sketches of buildings in the parishes of St. Minver Highlands and Lowlands, St. Endellion, St. Kew and Wadebridge, including the parish churches, at least one of St. Minver's five windmills, Wadebridge bridge, and several domestic dwellings. The drawings on the south side of the cornice are illegible. Above the fireplace is a cruder painting illustrating Trevelver and formal gardens to the south-west, the windmill to the north-west of Carlyon, Carlyon and Dinham prior to its remodelling. These paintings provide important documentary evidence of a type which rarely survives in Cornwall. A 19th century stair with turned newels and stick balusters is present. Moulded 17th century doorframes to the first floor chambers feature scroll and triangular stepped stops. Roof timbers were largely replaced in the 19th century, although full inspection is not accessible.

A wide four-centred granite arch with a roll moulded frame is reset in the garden wall to the north of the east corner of the house, bearing dates of probably 1632.

Historical context: Trevelver was first recorded in 1302. By the period around 1573 it was the seat of the Stone family, and in 1636 of the Silly family. Around 1698, the leases of Trevelver, Dinham and Carlyon were sold to Francis Arundell. According to Maclean's records from 1879, little of the mansion was surviving at that time except for two mullion windows and the panelled parlour with painted panel and cornice.