Trelawne House

Trelawne House comprises the remains of a mansion, now used for holiday accommodation and entertainment. The present structure has late 13th-century origins in the northwestern stair turret. The entrance tower and hall, later remodelled, probably date from the 1450s, built for the Bonville family. The west range dates from around 1700 and incorporates parts of earlier fabric remodelled at that time. Early photographs show similar ranges to the east and south. Documents record a fire around 1750, after which Edward Trelawny erected a new south-east wing. Between 1860 and 1862, J.P. St Aubyn undertook extensive rebuilding for Sir John Trelawny, including the rebuilding of the chapel on the northeast, the south front, and the refronting of part of the north elevation.

Exterior

The 15th-century range features a north tower with battlemented parapet. The hall range extends to the left with gable ends, heated by a rear lateral chimney stack. The battlemented parapets have been renewed. A stair turret stands at the far end of the hall on the front elevation. The west cross wing has hipped ends with two axial chimney stacks. To the east, the chapel has gable ends. The east elevation displays slate roofs with a triple-gabled front.

The front elevation faces north. A large projecting tower of three stages features a wide two-centred freestone 19th-century arch. A corbelled angel above bears a heraldic shield. A drip stone sits above, originally probably the cill of a mullion window. The second stage contains a four-light mullion and transom window, with a three-light mullion and transom in the third stage. The stair turret in the northeast corner has quatrefoiled stair lights.

To the left, the north gable end of the chapel contains a three-light 19th-century Perpendicular tracery window below a two-centred arch with hoodmould. To the right, the front wall of the hall (later the drawing room) appears to have been rebuilt around 1860–1862. The ground floor has two three-light mullion and transom windows. The first floor has two two-light mullion and transom windows. The western stair turret has a battlemented parapet. Its entrance door has a two-centred chamfered arch with a single trefoil light above, positioned to the right of centre, and a clock above. The hipped end of the west cross wing to the right has 20th-century fenestration on the ground and first floors set in earlier sash window openings.

The two-storey west wing has been raised at the eaves and the central gabled projection has been remodelled. Around 1700, this range was remodelled to form a nearly symmetrical west front elevation of 3:3:3 windows. However, a 20th-century ballroom now blocks part of the ground floor and much of the first floor. Although the original openings are retained, much of the fenestration has been altered around the 1960s.

The three-storey east elevation comprises an almost regular four-window front with a double-gabled projecting wing on the left and a single projecting wing on the right, all with mullion and transom windows. Between these two projecting wings, the earlier three-storey range with mullion and transom windows has been remodelled in the mid-19th century.

Plan

The plan is complicated by extensive 19th-century rebuilding. The north range comprises a large entrance tower with stair turret and a wide through passage leading to a wide passage between the hall and chapel. Although set further back from the front elevation, the 19th-century chapel retains its original relationship with the hall and passage. The entrance on the east side of the passage leads to the chapel, and on the west side to the hall (later the drawing room). The stair turret at the outer northwest corner of the hall now bears little relationship to the original arrangement.

The cross wing at the higher end of the hall comprises earlier structure, further extended and remodelled around 1700. At the rear of this cross wing, at the junction with the rear elevation of the hall, a stair projection containing a staircase from around 1700 serves both ranges. Much of the remaining part of the building was rebuilt and remodelled in 1750 and again in 1860–1862 by J.P. St Aubyn, with 19th-century kitchen and service wings in the south range completing an overall U-shaped plan. The courtyard was then enclosed in the mid-19th century on the south side by further service rooms, with a lych gate on the west giving access to the courtyard.

Interior

The north range's through passage and hall were probably remodelled around 1700, contemporary with the remodelling and extension of the west wing, with further remodelling in 1860. The wide through passage has moulded 19th-century two-centred arches, a pointed double entrance door with ovolo-moulded heavy glazing bars, an early 18th-century cornice, and an early 18th-century double fielded panelled door on the east.

The hall, later the drawing room and now a bar, was remodelled around 1700 with complete bolection-moulded panelling with chair rail and heavy dentilled cornice, decorative plasterwork with moulded ribs, and a bolection-moulded marble fireplace with a painted shield above bearing the heraldic quartering of the Trelawny family marriages. Further painted armorial bearings appear above other doors.

In the west wing, the room at the inner end of the hall retains remains of bolection-moulded panelling and a plasterwork ceiling. Further rooms appear to have plasterwork ceilings with moulded beams, though full inspection was not possible. An open-well stair serving the early 18th-century range has a closed string, barley-sugar twisted balusters on square bases, a moulded rail ramped at corners, and square newels. Remains of fielded panelling survive below the dado of the stair hall. The plasterwork ceiling has moulded ribs, cherubs at corners, and a dentilled cornice.

The 19th-century kitchen and service wing features large granite and timber chimneypieces with moulded lintels, corbelled and shouldered door arches with 19th-century linenfold panelled doors, and moulded ceiling beams.

The chapel, now used as a linen store, was dedicated in 1701 and rebuilt in 1860 with brick vaults in the basement. It has coursed stonework with incised lines. The 19th-century hammerbeam roof features painted timber carved angels bearing the instruments of the passion, together with stone carved angels on corbels, possibly some reused from an earlier chapel. A canopy belonging to Bishop Trelawny, originally at the west end, has been removed. The east end was obscured at the time of inspection.

The clock tower contains a stone newel stair. The clock was made by Dent of Cockspurs, Charing Cross. The bell in the clock tower is inscribed "1665 B P J Trelauny" (Bishop Jonathan Trelawny). The roof structure over the north range was replaced in the mid-19th century with a king-post truss roof. The roof structure over the west range is probably contemporary with the early 18th-century remodelling; the principals are halved and lap-jointed and pegged at the apex, with collars lapped onto the face of the principals and pegged. A similar roof structure covers the early 18th-century stair projection at the angle of the north and west ranges.

Full access to the house was not possible at the time of inspection.

Historical Context

The Domesday manor was held by Rainald de Vautort. It was later held by the Cardinans, Chapernouns, and Bonvilles. In 1554, the estate was confiscated from Henry Grey, Duke of Suffolk and father of Lady Jane Grey. In 1600, Trelawne was sold by Elizabeth I to Sir Jonathan Trelawny. In 1668, the Right Reverend Sir Jonathan Trelawny was among the seven bishops brought to trial by James II (referenced in the Cornish Anthem). Trelawny occupied successively the sees of Bristol, Exeter, and Winchester, and died at his London palace in Chelsea in 1721. He is buried in Pelynt Parish Church.

For photographs of Trelawne prior to J.P. St Aubyn's alterations, see A. Lanyon's "Rooks of Trelawne" (1976). For further information relating to the Trelawney monuments, once among the richest collection in the West Country, see Derriman, J., "The Trelawney Muniments," Devon and Cornwall Notes and Queries, Volume XXXV, Part VI, Autumn 1984, pages 225–228; Grylls, R. Glynn, "Trelawne"; Pevsner, N., and Radcliffe, "The Buildings of England, Cornwall," second edition, 1970; and Smith, Reverend M.G., "A Short History of Bishop Sir Jonathan Trelawny, Baronet, 1650–1721."