Penheale Manor

Penheale Manor

Country house with probable medieval origins, though almost entirely rebuilt after 1572 for George Grenville. Extended and remodelled in the 1630s for John Specott and his son Paul. Divided into three dwellings in the late 18th century. In the early 20th century, Sir Edwin Lutyens added a south range for Captain N.R. Colville and was probably responsible for several alterations to the exterior and interior of the earlier ranges.

The building is constructed of stone rubble with ashlar granite on the north front. The south range uses cut slatestone, quartz and polyphant stone. Slate roofs throughout. The 17th century moulded granite caps remain on the axial, end and lateral chimney stacks.

The plan arrangement is uncertain as the interior was not fully inspected at the time of survey in 1987. The entrance is positioned near the centre of the north elevation, leading into a wide through passage with a courtyard beyond, flanked by principal rooms. A late 18th century one-room plan wing projects from the front left, occupying the site of an earlier wing documented in the Spoure Book. Rear wings enclose the first courtyard, and south ranges enclose a second courtyard, largely surrounded by Lutyens' extensions. Lutyens extended the lower service wing and cellars to the south and south west, built a service range adjoining a 19th century cider house in the south west corner, and continued this range northeastward to connect with the earlier building.

The north front presents two storeys with moulded plinth and continuous string rising to form hood moulds to both ground and first floor windows. Symmetry is broken by the late 18th century front left wing. The entrance near the centre features a four-centred granite roll-moulded arch with hoodmould and a datestone inscribed 1636 PS GS (Paul Specott and Grace), though this entrance may have been inserted; a 1925 Country Life article suggests the original entrance was at the east end of the front. Flanking the entrance are a six-light mullioned window on the left and two similar windows to the right. The first floor contains three similar windows with a three-light mullioned window above the entrance. A battlemented parapet extends across the north elevation. The rainwater hoppers date to circa 1636 and display Paul Specott's arms impaling those of his first wife Grace Halswell.

The west elevation's earlier section has been reduced to a single storey with cellar and was extended to the right by Lutyens in similar style, reusing earlier stone for a front lateral stack. Across the south, Lutyens added a four-storey tower of massive but simple detail, with two canted oriel bays on the south side corbelling out above the ground floor. This contrasts with the adjoining 19th century cider house to its left, a two-storey structure with simple shuttered openings. To the tower's right, Lutyens' service range extends two storeys with multiple moulded surrounds to mullioned windows and a gable end of a cross wing to the right. The east elevation of this wing contains a Lutyens nursery window at first floor level.

The interior was not accessible for survey. A 1925 Country Life article describes fine quality panelling and plasterwork including a hall screen of circa 1640 and an oak panelled parlour. Lutyens' extension contains a stair of similar design to that of Castle Drogo but on a smaller scale, and the service rooms contain joinery and carpentry details by Lutyens.