The Old Manor House Or Chy-An-Eglos And Stables At Rear

The Old Manor House or Chy-an-Eglos and Stables at Rear

Town house, built circa 1775 for William Cornish, a former mayor of Marazion. The building was extended at the rear and to the east in the mid-19th century. The original front is constructed of granite ashlar with granite dressings, while the extensions are rendered in stucco. The roofs are scantle slate with gable ends to the original section, hipped-ended rear wings, and a polygonal end to the front wing on the right. Brick chimneys rise above the original gable ends and far right.

The original plan was probably single-depth, with principal rooms on the first floor (piano nobile). The ground floor comprised a kitchen at basement level to the left of the central entrance hall and a small parlour to the right, probably with a shallow pantry behind. A large parlour occupied the first floor left, including space over the entrance hall, with a smaller parlour to the right. The original stair was probably an open-well type at the rear of the entrance hall, replaced in the mid-19th century by the present stair. Projecting further to the rear on either side are similar wings containing brick vaulted basement cellars for wine and food storage. Another vaulted cellar lies to the left of the kitchen with a conservatory above it. A three-storey 19th-century wing projects from the right-hand side with a canted end facing the front.

The exterior is three storeys, or two storeys over basement. The original front is symmetrical with three windows. A mid-19th-century three-window canted bay projects to the right, with a conservatory over the cellar to the left. The original front features rusticated quoins and a modillioned cornice to a parapet. The central doorway has sidelights and is flanked by square two-light windows with central mullions carrying flat arches. The first-floor windows are tripartite Venetian windows with arched central lights; the second-floor windows are narrow openings with single sashes. All front windows are 20th-century horned sashes. The canted projection on the right has mid-floor stuccoed strings and a stuccoed modillioned cornice. The original cornice is also stuccoed. The rear is rendered in stucco with moulded eaves cornices, six-pane horned sashes, and a pedimented doorcase to the rear entrance porch.

The interior retains substantial 18th-century features. On the ground floor is an 18th-century parlour cornice with triglyphs and an 18th-century kitchen dresser top with trefoil heads and dentils to the cornice. The 19th-century open-string stair has a scrolled mahogany handrail over the newel and slender column-turned balusters. The cellar vaults are carried on iron girders. The first floor contains fine original Rococo plasterwork ceilings and original wall panelling and chimney pieces. The large parlour has a modillioned cornice; the small parlour has florets within a cavetto moulding. Original doorcases feature chest-shaped overdoors with original six-panel doors.

The 19th-century stables are located at the rear of the right-hand wing, built into the bank with doorways facing the front. They remain in unaltered condition with a cobbled yard in front.

During the 19th century, the house was home to Piers St Aubyn, the architect. The design is notably individual when compared to contemporary buildings such as Acton Castle in Perranuthnoe parish, The Manor Office at West End in Marazion, and Tregenna Castle in St Ives, all of similar date. The last three share many similarities and may have been by the same architect; Tregenna Castle is documented as being by Wood the Younger.