Godolphin Estate facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Godolphin Estate |
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Godolphin House
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| Type | Country house |
| Location | Godolphin Cross, Breage, Cornwall, England |
| OS grid reference | SW 60129 31840 |
| Area | Cornwall |
| Built | 15th–17th centuries |
| Owner | National Trust |
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Listed Building – Grade I
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| Official name: Godolphin House | |
| Designated | 10 July 1957 |
| Reference no. | 1158437 |
| Official name: Godolphin | |
| Designated | 15 December 1999 |
| Reference no. | 1001443 |
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The Godolphin Estate is a special place in Cornwall, England. It's owned by the National Trust, which looks after historic sites. You can find it about 7 kilometers (4 miles) north-west of Helston. The main house here is a very old and important building. It is known as a Grade I listed building, meaning it's protected for its historical value.
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History of Godolphin Estate
The Godolphin Estate was once the home of powerful families. These included the Dukes of Leeds and the Earls of Godolphin. The estate has a beautiful old mansion, built between the 15th and 17th centuries. It also has very old gardens from around 1500. The stables are from about 1600.
Who Lived Here?
The current house is part of what was once a much larger mansion. From 1786, the Dukes of Leeds owned it, but they never actually lived there. In 1920, the 10th Duke of Leeds sold the estate. It then passed through several owners. These included Peter Quintrell Treloar and James Penna.
Later, in 1937, an artist named Walter Elmer Schofield and his family bought the estate. His son, Sydney, who was an architect, helped fix up the mansion. Sydney received the restored mansion as a wedding gift from his parents.
Godolphin Today: A National Trust Gem
In 2000, Mary Schofield, Sydney's widow, sold most of the estate to the National Trust. Then, in 2007, she sold the house, gardens, and farmyard to them as well. The National Trust then started a big project. They worked to protect the old front part of the house from falling apart.
Today, the house is open to visitors on certain days. The estate covers about 550 acres (220 hectares). It includes Godolphin Hill, which offers amazing views of west Cornwall. There are also over 400 old archaeological sites. These range from Bronze Age settlements to 19th-century mine buildings. The National Trust has been working to make it easier for people to visit and explore the estate.
The large village of Godolphin Cross is right next to the estate on its east side. It has a primary school and other facilities.
Exploring Godolphin House and Gardens
Godolphin House is located at SW 601 318. The National Trust took over the house and gardens in August 2007. They now hold different events there throughout the year. The house has three wings built around a square courtyard. The main entrance is from the north.
One room in the east wing dates back to the 16th century. It has special wooden panels called "linenfold panelling." Opposite the main hall is the Jacobean range. This part has a castle-like top and a covered walkway with seven arches on the ground floor. The house is also available to rent for holidays for about three weeks each month. This is when it's not open to the public.
Fun Facts and Old Traditions
There's a fun old story about Godolphin Estate. It was first written down in the 1700s. It might even be from the 1300s! This tradition happened every year on Candlemas day (February 2nd) until 1921.
The Snail Race Legend
The story says that two important men, Godolphin and St Aubyn, once bet their homes on a snail race. Godolphin was losing, so he pricked his snail. The snail then curled up and lost the race completely! Instead of taking Godolphin's estate, St Aubyn set up a yearly tradition.
Every Candlemas day, the reeve (a local official) from Lambourne would knock on the door of Godolphin Court. He would demand to be let in. Once inside, he would jump onto a table and demand "rents duties and customs." These payments were made with a large quart of strong beer, a loaf of wheat bread, cheese of the same value, and two shillings and eight pence.
