Pencarrow facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pencarrow |
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Pencarrow House in 2024
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| Location | Egloshayle, Cornwall, England |
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Listed Building – Grade II*
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| Official name: Pencarrow House | |
| Designated | 4 November 1988 |
| Reference no. | 1311084 |
| Official name: Pencarrow | |
| Designated | 11 June 1987 |
| Reference no. | 1000652 |
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Pencarrow is a beautiful old country house located in Cornwall, England. It's a special building, officially known as a "Grade II*-listed" site. This means it's very important and protected. You can find Pencarrow about three miles (5 km) from Wadebridge and also three miles (5 km) from Bodmin. It's a famous place to visit.
Contents
The History of Pencarrow House
Building a Grand Home
The story of Pencarrow House began in the 1760s. Sir John Molesworth, who was the fourth Molesworth baronet, started building it. He added to a much older house that was already on the land.
Sir John passed away in 1766, but his son, also named Sir John Molesworth, finished the work. The person who designed the house was probably Robert Allanson.
Architectural Style and Design
The house was likely started around 1730. This is because its Palladian style was a bit old-fashioned by the 1760s and 1770s, when most of the building was done.
Another interesting fact is that the outside of the house, especially the south and east sides, looks perfectly balanced. However, the inside rooms don't match this balance. This might be because the original layout of the older house made it hard to create a perfectly symmetrical design inside.
Exploring Pencarrow House
What the House Looks Like
The oldest parts of Pencarrow House might be from the late 1600s or early 1700s. But there were buildings on this spot even before that. The south and east sides of the house are covered in a smooth plaster called stucco. This covers stone and brick.
The north side is made of rough stone. The west side uses smooth, cut slate stone. The roofs are made of slate and have sloped ends, especially on the south and east sides.
The Amazing Gardens
The woodlands and gardens around Pencarrow are truly special. Sir William Molesworth, the 8th Baronet, designed them between 1831 and 1835. Today, these gardens are home to an incredible collection of plants.
- There are 160 different kinds of conifer trees.
- You can find 700 types of rhododendrons.
- There are also 60 kinds of camellias.
The gardens also feature a lovely Italian garden, a rockery made of granite, and a peaceful lake.
The Monkey Puzzle Tree
One of the most famous trees at Pencarrow is the Araucaria araucana, which is now known as the "monkey puzzle tree." This funny name came about right here at Pencarrow! A young tree was shown to some friends of the owner. One friend remarked, "It would puzzle a monkey to climb that!" Since the tree didn't have a common name yet, "monkey puzzler" and then "monkey puzzle" became its popular name.
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The Ancient Stone Cross Head
There is an old stone cross head at Pencarrow. Arthur Langdon described it in 1896. This cross head was discovered around 1870 on the estate. After it was found, it was placed in the grounds of the house for everyone to see.
Cornish Wrestling at Pencarrow
In the 1800s, Pencarrow was a place where Cornish wrestling tournaments were held. Wrestlers would compete for prizes, making it an exciting event for the community.
