Merthen Manor facts for kids
Merthen Manor is a historic house in west Cornwall, England. It was built in the 1500s. The name comes from the Cornish word Merdhin, which means 'sea fort'.
For most of its long history, Merthen Manor has belonged to the Vyvyan family, a well-known family from Cornwall. The house is surrounded by over 100 acres of beautiful woodland. This woodland, along with the nearby Helford River shoreline, is a special protected area called Merthen Woods Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
The History of Merthen Manor
The land where Merthen Manor stands was once part of a larger estate called Winnianton. In 1225, King Henry III gave this land to his brother, Richard, 1st Earl of Cornwall. Later, Richard traded it for Tintagel Castle.
In the early 1400s, Ralph Reskymer took ownership of Merthen. It then became the main home for the Reskymer family.
The current manor house was likely built in 1575. John Reskymer and his wife Grace probably built it. Their family crest is above the entrance. Grace died in 1627, and the house was sold in 1629. Sir Francis Vyvyan of Trelowarren bought it. Since then, it has stayed with the Vyvyan family.
The house was updated again in the early 1800s. Its inside rooms were also made new in the 1900s.
Merthen Woods: A Special Place
The woods south of Merthen Manor are very important. They are located along the banks of the Helford River. In 1972, these woods became a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). This means they are protected for their amazing plants and animals.
The woods cover about 178 acres. They are important because they have many Sessile Oak trees (Quercus petraea). Other special plants found here include the rare Bastard Balm (Melittis melissophyllum). There are also very rare mosses like Fissidens curnowii and Hookeria lucens.
Merthen Woods is also home to a unique insect. It has the largest British group of Anchonidium unguiculare, a rare type of weevil. These tiny beetles only live in the woodlands along the Helford River in Britain.
Merthen Manor Today
Today, Merthen Manor is owned by Mary Vyvyan. It is a Grade II* listed building. This means it is a very important historic building.
You can stay at Merthen Manor! It offers bed & breakfast rooms in the main house. There is also self-catering accommodation in a barn that has been changed into living spaces.
