Old Mansion House

This is a large town house, built around 1706-1708 for Samuel Enys, and extensively renovated between 1989 and 1990. The front is painted brick, now rendered, with rubble and dressed stone, also rendered, at the rear. It has a steep hipped slate roof with deep eaves, and substantial brick stacks. The building follows a double-depth plan and presents a symmetrical seven-window front with a 2:3:2 fenestration, featuring a slightly projecting, pedimented central range. The front has a plinth, plain corner pilasters, a platband, and a moulded eaves cornice with heavy modillions. The central three bays project and are topped by a triangular pediment containing an oculus. A central open-pedimented doorcase features pilasters, panelled reveals, a panelled door, a blind overlight, and tall, 12-pane hornless sash windows, which are replacements copying earlier 19th-century sashes. Two pedimented dormers also have sash windows, recreated with heavy glazing bars in the style of 18th-century sliding sashes. The rear elevation is slightly irregular and also features replacement sash windows. A section of the left-hand wall retains an original two-light casement window with heavy glazing bars, providing light to the attic.

The interior underwent extensive restoration in the 1980s; panelling was removed, repaired, and reinstated, while plasterwork was either repaired in situ or removed, repaired, and reset. Original 18th-century features include panelled doors, bolection-moulded panelling, chimney pieces, and moulded ceiling cornices in the entrance hall, a room on the right-hand side, the landing (which lacks a fireplace), the front first-floor chambers, and a rear left-hand chamber. The front chambers have deeply coved ceilings. One chamber displays masks and shells in the corners, along with a central angel holding a spray of flowers; another has a cherub within a moulded quatrefoil design. The attic contains a dogleg staircase with twist splat balusters. There are three bolection-moulded chimney pieces in the attic, and some oak floorboards remain in the entrance hall. A late 19th- or early 19th-century staircase with an open well, a ramped mahogany handrail, and stick balusters has been inserted. Other rooms contain early 19th-century joinery and plasterwork, showcasing moulded and carved ceiling cornices, including a guilloche frieze in the front left-hand room. Several 19th-century iron grates are present, some within early 18th-century surrounds, and others within 19th-century surrounds, notably in the first-floor rear right-hand room, which has an early 19th-century moulded chimney piece with corner blocks.

This is a large and early example of a symmetrical, classical-style town house in Cornwall, featuring a double-depth plan that reflects the building practices of the late 17th century.