Collaven Manor

Collaven Manor is a small manor house in Sourton, dating from the early 17th century, possibly 1602, with substantial additions made in 1675, the early 18th century, the late 18th or early 19th century, around the mid-19th century, and the early 20th century.

The building is constructed of granite rubble walls with a gable-ended slate roof and a hipped roof to the rear early 20th-century block. It has four chimney stacks: a rendered brick shaft on a stone base at the left gable end; a rendered brick axial stack to the main range; an early 18th-century brick stack with blind arches on each side, axial to the main range and wing; and a 20th-century brick stack at the front gable end of the wing.

The original plan consisted of three rooms with a through passage, with the lower end positioned to the left. All three rooms were likely heated: the hall by an axial stack backing onto the passage, and the lower and inner rooms by gable-end stacks. In 1675, a two-storey porch was added at the front of the passage. During the early 18th century, a wing was added in front of the inner room, probably for use as a parlour and heated by a gable-end stack. In the late 18th or early 19th century, a wing was built behind the hall to provide extra service rooms. Around the mid-19th century, an adjoining outshut was constructed to the rear of the inner room. In Edwardian times, a large drawing room was added parallel to the lower end at the back.

The building is two storeys with an asymmetrical five-window front. The early 18th-century wing projects from the front of the right-hand end, and a gabled two-storey porch stands to the left of centre. The porch features a two-light chamfered granite mullion window to the first floor. The other windows are all two and three-light 20th-century casements with glazing bars. The hall window to the right of the porch retains its granite lintel and jambs, although its mullions have been removed. The window to its right also retains granite jambs with a granite hoodmould above, which has a four-petal flower carved into its left-hand label. The right-hand end of the hoodmould has been overlapped by the 18th-century wing. The two-storey porch is topped by an acute four-centred granite chamfered arch with a 20th-century plank door. Above it is a stone plaque inscribed with the date 1675 and the initials "P.B.", probably referring to the Beare family. The right-hand wing has a 20th-century plank door to the left, with two windows to its right. Above these openings are flat arches made of three pieces of dressed granite, with the central piece taller than the others. At the rear of the left-hand end is the parallel early 20th-century range with an adjoining wing and outshut behind the right-hand end under a catslide roof. On its rear face, the 18th-century brick stack re-uses a stone plaque inscribed with "Richard Beare and his wife Elizabeth 1602".

In the interior, the lower room fireplace has probably been reconstructed and features a stone arch with rusticated voussoirs. This room contains two chamfered cross beams with indiscernible stops. The hall fireplace has a chamfered granite lintel and jambs with an oven in the right-hand side. The hall features chamfered cross beams with step stops. The inner room also has a granite-framed fireplace with a later one inserted into it, and contains rough axial beams and joists. The 18th-century parlour in the wing has a high ceiling with rough cross beams that were originally likely to have been plastered.

The roof timbers are probably 18th-century and consist of straight principals with collars halved in. The purlins rest on the backs of the principals. The roof over the porch may be original to it and features a curved collar.