Pencarrow House

Pencarrow House is a country house with origins in the late 17th or early 18th century, substantially rebuilt between the 1760s and 1775. The initial rebuilding was begun by Sir John Molesworth, 4th baronet, who died in 1766, and continued by his son Sir John, 5th baronet, who died in 1777. The architect was probably Robert Allanson of York, who died in 1773. The house was partly remodelled around 1844 for Sir William Molesworth, 8th baronet, by George Wightwick, and the interior was further modernised in 1919 by Ernest Newton.

The building is constructed of stuccoed stone rubble and brick on the south and east elevations, with stone rubble on the north and dressed slate stone with a moulded plinth on the west elevation. The roofs are slate with hipped ends to the south and east fronts, and there are axial stacks.

Although the house was considerably rebuilt in the 1760s and 1770s, evidence suggests that an earlier large house survives in remodelled form. Lysons records a remodelling date of 1730, quoting Borlase who described it as the most capacious mansion in Cornwall. However, the will of Sir John Molesworth, 5th baronet, who died in 1775, refers to considerable sums expended in the building, rebuilding and repairing of the house. Much of the late 17th-century bolection moulded panelling in the music room and entrance hall came from Tetcott and was reset by Wightwick in the 1840s. The early 18th-century back stair, sash windows in the rear north elevation, joinery in the west range, and 2-light mullion windows in the cellar probably all survive from the earlier house. Additionally, the Palladian design, whilst accomplished on the east front, is fairly archaic for the 1760s and 1770s. The symmetry of the exterior on the east and south fronts is not accompanied by symmetry of axis on the interior, possibly because the earlier ranges inhibited the axial planning often associated with Palladian houses of the 1750s.

The principal rooms are arranged in the east front range and south garden range. The east range was partly remodelled in the 1840s by Wightwick with a central entrance hall flanked by a music room to the north-east and drawing room to the south-east. The long south front may have contained the original entrance for the 1770s remodelling, with an entrance hall flanked by a dining room and stewards room to the south-west and a drawing room in the south-east corner. A broad corridor continues from the entrance hall in the east range, along the rear of the south rooms and the stair hall with its groin vaulted corridor. The private family rooms in the lower range contain circa 1700 panelling and form part of the earlier house.

The east front displays two storeys and an attic with a symmetrical 2:3:2 window arrangement of late 18th-century and 19th-century 12-pane sashes. A pedimented central bay is set forward with rusticated quoins and a modillion cornice. A 19th-century central porch with a partly glazed door is flanked by sashes. Segmental arched pediments crown the three central sashes on the first floor, with triangular pediments above the four flanking sashes. Seven 6-pane sashes occupy the attic. The south front has a similar window arrangement with wider spacing.

The west elevation comprises part of the earlier house and displays fine quality masonry with a moulded plinth. Several straight joints indicate partial rebuilding. The lower stage of the west wall of the south front contains similar masonry and suggests that part of the south range was probably remodelled and the eaves raised in the 1770s rather than totally rebuilt. The north elevation has several early 18th-century sashes with thick glazing bars. The Venetian stair window on the left is of mid-19th-century date, whilst the Venetian window on the right is probably early 18th-century.

In the entrance hall of the east range, Rococo plaster ceiling work is evident in the music room, where maple-grained panelling and a niche were added by Wightwick, reusing earlier joinery. A fine 18th-century chimney-piece is located in the dining room. The inner stair hall has a groin-vaulted corridor heated by a combined stove and colza oil lamp standard manufactured by Hearder of Plymouth circa 1830s. An impressive cantilever open well stair with wrought iron balustrade appears early 19th-century in character, with plasterwork above the stair to the upper landing dating from circa the 1770s. The back stair is early 18th-century in style with square newels, turned balusters, closed string, and a moulded rail. The first floor retains largely complete joinery, carpentry and plasterwork. One attic room contains complete late 17th-century bolection moulded panelling.