Pencarrow facts for kids
Pencarrow (which means Pennkarow in Cornish) is a beautiful old country house in Cornwall, England. It's a very important building, listed as Grade II*. This means it's a special historic place. You can find Pencarrow near the towns of Wadebridge and Bodmin.
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History of Pencarrow House
The building of Pencarrow House began in the 1760s. Sir John Molesworth, who was the fourth Baronet of the Molesworth family, started the work. He added to an even older house that was already on the land.
Sir John passed away in 1766. His son, also named Sir John Molesworth, finished the house. The architect who designed the house was probably Robert Allanson.
The house was built in a style called Palladian. This style was popular a bit earlier, around the 1730s. Even though it was a bit old-fashioned by the 1760s, the family still used this grand design.
What Pencarrow Looks Like
The oldest parts of Pencarrow House might be from the late 1600s or early 1700s. The outside walls on the south and east sides are made of stone and brick, covered in a smooth plaster called stucco. The north side is made of rough stone.
The west side of the house is built with smooth slate stones. The roofs are made of slate. They have sloped ends, which are called hipped ends, on the south and east sides.
Amazing Gardens at Pencarrow
The gardens and woodlands around Pencarrow are truly special. Sir William Molesworth, the 8th Baronet, created these gardens between 1831 and 1835. He filled them with many different kinds of plants.
Today, the gardens have 160 types of tall conifer trees. They also boast 700 different kinds of rhododendrons, which are flowering shrubs. You can also see 60 types of camellias, another beautiful flowering plant.
The gardens also feature an Italian garden, a rocky area made of granite, and a lovely lake. It's a wonderful place to explore and see nature.
The Monkey Puzzle Tree
One very famous tree got its name right here at Pencarrow! It's called the Araucaria araucana, but most people know it as the "monkey puzzle tree."
The story goes that a young tree was shown to some friends of the owner. One friend looked at its spiky, tough branches and said, "It would puzzle a monkey to climb that!" The name "monkey puzzle" stuck, and that's what we call this unique tree today.
Stone Cross Head
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There is a special stone cross head at Pencarrow. It was found around 1870 on the estate. Later, it was placed in the gardens for everyone to see. This cross head is a piece of history from long ago.
Cornish Wrestling
In the 1800s, exciting Cornish wrestling tournaments were held at Pencarrow. People would compete for prizes. Cornish wrestling is a traditional sport from Cornwall, where wrestlers try to throw their opponent to the ground.
