Trewithen House

SW 52 SE GERMOE BOSCREGE 3/208 Trewithen House

II

House at one time a count (account) house and later a public house called the Godolphin Arms (information from the present occupier, 1986). Circa mid C18 remodelling of older house. Granite rubble walls, most of front rebuilt in the C18 with dressed granite jambstones and wedged lintels to ground floor and granite ashlar with flat arches to first floor. Slate sills. Scantle slate roofs with brick chimneys over the gable ends. L-shaped plan: probably originally a 2-room plan with kitchen left and parlour right with cross passage between. In circa mid-late C18, remodelled and extended with 1- room plan service wing (probably kitchen) at right angles behind left hand room, and lean-to heightened C20 containing stair hall and small service room (probably pantry) behind passage and right hand room. Cellar under the left hand rooms. 2 storeys. Nearly symmetrical 3 window south front. Doorway central to fenestration but all slightly towards right. Circa late C19 or early C20 door and windows in C18 openings. 4 panel top-glazed door, 6-pane horned sashes except slightly narrower 4- pane sash over the doorway. At the rear is the original circa early-mid C18 8-pane fixed light stair window with thick glazing bars. Interior : original cellar, rediscovered recently (1986) with sump cut into the floor; granite-flagged cross-passage floor; circa early-mid C18 shalllow open-well stair with rectangular balusters to the closed string and a column turned balustrade to the landing (treads are C20); large C17 stone fireplace in the front left hand room (approximately 7' wide and 4' deep) with an oven at either side, both with arched doorways, the right-hand one larger D-shaped on plan and with a corbelled domed ceiling; C18 roof structure, the part over the front with only 1 massive truss, left of middle, the rafters carried by purlins of enormous scantling (this was presumably a design which enabled the roof space to be used as an attic for there are heavy floor beams under). There are traces of an entrance to a former passage (under the right hand window) which seems to have led from the cellar to a beehive roofed circular plan building to the left of the house, demolished in the C20. A fascinating house, appearing small on the outside but with an unexpected cellar and attic rooms. It would be interesting to know the purpose of the passage.

Listing NGR: SW5924430623