Harlyn House HARLYN BAY, NR. PADSTOW, NORTH CORNWALL Harlyn House HARLYN BAY, NR. PADSTOW, NORTH CORNWALL To be sold for only the third time since the 15th Century, one of north Cornwall’s most historic and prestigious seaside houses providing almost 10,000sq.ft of detached 31 room accommodation incorporating fascinating examples of architecture, plasterwork and features from the Medieval, Jacobean and Georgian eras, amazingly only within a few hundred yards walk of Harlyn and Constantine Bay beaches and Trevose Golf Club. A most interesting Grade II* Listed small mansion, the fabric of which has been sympathetically and expertly restored in recent years, enjoying sea views from the first floor and standing at the head of a 200 yard long driveway in grounds of about 4¾ acres including a walled garden. In one of the United Kingdom’s most highly regarded coastal locations just a few miles from the harbourside gastronomic town of Padstow and the Camel Estuary. Beautiful views of the sea and coast. SUMMARY OF ACCOMMODATION - about 9,719 sq ft Ground Floor: grand reception hall, dining room, drawing room, stair hall, library, wc, back hall, the old kitchen, breakfast room, former kitchen, garage, side entrance hall, inner hall, utility/boiler room, staff dining room, billiard room, garden room, vaulted ceilinged store house. First Floor: spectacular principal galleried landing with octagonal light tower over. Inner landings and earlier secondary staircase, the gallery, staff kitchen, 12 bedrooms with possible other purposes, currently 1 working bathroom, former bathroom. Outside: 200 yard long driveway with gate piers, haha, turning circle and secluded parking. Extensive lawned gardens, many mature trees and shrubs. Large sheltered south facing slate sun terrace. Walled garden and secluded garden with potential subject to planning. Side yard with towered dovecot. In all about 4¾ acres. Viewing strictly by appointment through the vendor’s Sole Agent: Lillicrap Chilcott Landrian House. 59-60 Lemon Street. Truro. TR1 2PE Tel: 01872 273473 Fax: 01872 273474 Email: [email protected] www.waterfrontandcountryhomes.com HISTORY AND CONSERVATION Harlyn House has been the most prominent house married into the Arundell, Godolphin and the Treffry in the area for centuries with its name appearing families which positioned them at the pinnacle of to have been derived from the Cornish for ‘the Cornish society. The next custodian was Gregory important place by the water’. The site was evidently Peter whose initials are found on the gateposts and it chosen for the original house due to the status of is thought that he added the new east range amongst the family that constructed it and it lies at the foot other improvements. Gregory Peter was High Sherriff of the southern slope of Trevose Head and was once of Cornwall as was his descendent Henry Peter surrounded by thousands of acres of land under its who commenced the next period of renovation and control. alteration. His son William again continued the renovation and it is he who completed the works The well documented families who lived there were to the grand reception rooms, stair hall and the strong patrons of both Constantine and St Merryn decorative plasterwork. William died in 1851 and churches and as the sand dunes formed around his son John, who was also High Sherriff of Cornwall, Constantine church and it was abandoned parts had no heir and for various reasons placed Harlyn of the church were moved to the new St Merryn on the market for the first time in approximately church, paid for by the owners of Harlyn House. 400 years on the 6th June 1856, when it was offered Whilst other items of stone were incorporated with nearly 1,300 acres of land, six commodious into Harlyn House itself including the magnificent farmhouses and necessary convenient outbuildings Medieval moulded arched doorway on its north and labourers cottages! side which is thought to date from c.1390. Other examples of patronage to St Merryn church include The more modern history is quite different as the the recasting of five bells together with the making Hellyar family were gentleman farmers rather than of framed wheels and the materials for all the bells landed gentry and they considered Harlyn a working and much earlier, in 1507, a piece of ground near farmhouse. The family owned the property for the churchyard was donated to the young men of the approximately 90 years, in which time little was done parish for the celebration of Cornish sports, one of to alter the building. The house was then sold for which was hurling and the owners of Harlyn House the last time in 1947 to Captain N P S Millar who had by tradition provided the silver hurling ball for took the house on with leaking roofs, walls that the annual match. were decaying and an architectural report saying that the house was past saving economically! Remedial Records show that the house was owned by one works were carried out to protect the fabric of the family line for about 400 years with the first records building and since our client inherited the house being of the Tregoye’s or Tregewe’s who were public in 1981 much more extensive, well planned and figures throughout the 15th Century including professionally overseen works have been carried Richard Tregew MP for Cornwall in 1448 with his out by master craftsmen with the objective being to ancestors recorded as MP’s as far back as 1347. A return the house to a better state than it had been sole daughter heir then married into the Michell since the mid 18th Century. The works to the roof family and they continued to use Harlyn House as is an exceptional achievement especially considering their principal residence although this extensive and there were thirty eight different pitches! Cast iron powerful family also owned prominent properties gutters have been fitted and the windows have been in other parts of Cornwall. The last surviving male repaired and repainted. Decorative plaster from Michell, Henry, carried out extensive works on the several different centuries has been restored and house in the 1630’s in preparation for his daughter given a new lease of life and the building is now Elizabeth to live there with her new husband Thomas in the perfect state for a new owner to decide how Peter and the initials HM relating to works of 1634 to use the various rooms and fit out accordingly. and 1636 are prominent in the property. Currently there is no proper kitchen although there The Peter family were of considerable note and land is a small working kitchen in one of the first floor holding having benefitted from services to the crown. rooms, and there is only one bathroom although it is Members of the Peter family are known to have very well appointed. DESCRIPTION When Harlyn House was originally built this part of Cornwall was important for agriculture, fishing and the safe landing of boats to the east of Trevose Head. As the centuries have passed the prominence of the area has not changed yet the draw is now more focused on the outstanding surrounding natural beauty of the headland and numerous sandy beaches providing sheltered waters for swimming and more exposed surfing locations. Incredibly Harlyn House is within walking distance of all of this! Also only a few hundred yards away is Trevose Golf Club, renowned as one of the most iconic courses in Great Britain. For those enjoying the surrounding attractions Harlyn House remains almost entirely invisible as it is approached over a discreet 200 yard long driveway which bisects wonderful open lawns before passing over a Ha-Ha to the classic turning circle in front of the main elevation. Further secluded gardens surround the house providing different areas to enjoy throughout the day and to the south side are gardens enclosed by trees and a formal walled garden with arched entrance. The main façade is formal containing the principal reception rooms on the ground floor and with five of the first floor bedrooms looking out over the front lawns to the sea around the entrance of the Camel Estuary beyond. Further first floor rooms can look to the west where Constantine Bay is visible. The eras of the house are displayed in the stonework and style on the exterior as much as throughout the rooms of the interior where a grand reception hall opens to the formal drawing and dining rooms to either side both with shuttered windows, with the drawing room having curved walls and the dining room having a more gothic influence including a magnificent plastered ceiling, arch to one end and a hidden chamber pot cupboard. The central stair hall and the galleried landing above are lit by a glazed octagonal light tower and off this hall one will find the panelled library. Numerous rooms extend through the rear of the building with much of these overlooking the south west facing terrace and planted garden. Historic features abound including wondrous fireplaces and studded doors thought to date from the early 1600’s. The first floor also has an extensive range of rooms which have seen many different uses over the years and are served by two staircases. The house is full of intrigue and possibilities for a new owner to write their own piece of history. Nearby Harlyn Bay LOCATION The setting of any property is often its most important attribute and it The South West Coast Path provides breathtaking views giving access to club. A little further along the coast to the south is Mawgan Porth and the is indeed hard to find fault with the location of Harlyn House standing other nearby beaches and Trevose Head to the north which overlooks the Scarlet Hotel and Spa and beyond this is Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen restaurant between Harlyn and Constantine Bay beaches.