Former Admiralty Boat House

A former Coastguard boat house with watch room of 1901 date, built by Thomas James and J S Tregenza.

MATERIALS: of two distinct types of Cornish granite: Castle an Dinas rubble for the walls and Sheffield ashlar for the dressings. The roof is covered in slate. Some of the rainwater goods are cast iron.

PLAN: rectangular on plan and of two storeys.

EXTERIOR: a functional design with detailing for embellishment, the boat house has snecked rubble walls with ashlar dressings to the openings, quoins, banding and stacks. The principal elevation (south) has a wide entrance under a cambered arch with two timber sashes to the first floor under a relieving arch. The coped gable end has kneelers and a ventilator. The entrance has panelled timber doors and set in the wall to the left is a postbox with GR insignia.

The flank elevations have timber casements and sashes. The first-floor casements at the south end have shouldered heads. The west flank has a central chimney that is corbelled at first-floor level. The north end elevation has a door to the ground floor and twin sashes with granite dressings and a relieving arch to the first floor.

INTERIOR: the ground floor boat house was converted to a post office in the early C20 and has a timber post office counter and timber wainscoting. There is a door to the first floor stair in the north corner. Parts of the floor are covered in tile, others in herringbone block. A section to the rear has a concrete slab at the former position of a safe. A lateral beam in the ceiling supports the base of the chimney in the west flank wall. To the first floor is the former watch-room and store converted to offices with early-C20 joinery including doors and cupboards.