Port Eliot facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Port Eliot |
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Port Eliot and St Germans Church
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| Location | St Germans, Cornwall, England |
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Listed Building – Grade I
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| Official name: Port Eliot House | |
| Designated | 21 July 1951 |
| Reference no. | 1140516 |
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Listed Building – Grade II*
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| Official name: Town Lodge | |
| Designated | 23 January 1968 |
| Reference no. | 1311300 |
| Official name: Port Eliot | |
| Designated | 11 June 1987 |
| Reference no. | 1000426 |
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Port Eliot is a very old and grand house located in St Germans, a village in Cornwall, England. It has been the family home for the Eliot family for many years. Today, the head of the family is Albert Eliot, 11th Earl of St Germans.
This special place includes a large house and its own church. This church also serves as the main church for the village of St Germans. A very long time ago, an earlier church building here was the most important church in Cornwall, like a main cathedral. The house sits on a huge piece of land, about 6,000 acres, which stretches into nearby villages like Tideford, Trerulefoot, and Polbathic. Both the house and its beautiful gardens are considered very important historical sites.
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History of Port Eliot
Port Eliot was first built as a priory, which is a type of religious building where monks or nuns lived. It was connected to the St Germans Priory Church. Some parts of the house are incredibly old, dating back to the 12th century (the 1100s!). Over time, the house was changed and updated a lot by famous architects, including Sir John Soane in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Changes to the Estate
In the 1700s and 1800s, the Eliot family spent a lot of money improving their land. They built many farmhouses, cottages for fishermen, and other homes across the estate. Many of these buildings are still part of the estate today. They are rented out to local people and friends of the family. Some properties that were far away from the main estate have been sold in recent years. In 2014, a large part of the estate, about 1,800 acres, was bought by the Duchy of Cornwall. This is a special estate that belongs to the Prince of Wales.
Fun Festivals at Port Eliot
Port Eliot has been a popular spot for festivals, bringing music, art, and people together.
The Elephant Fayre
In 1980, a small festival that had grown too big for its original location asked if it could be held at Port Eliot. The estate agreed, and that's how the Elephant Fayre began. It was one of the most interesting festivals of the 1980s. The festival ran from 1981 to 1986. It started with about 1,500 visitors and featured a mix of music, theatre, and visual arts.
The festival grew bigger each year, attracting crowds of up to 30,000 people. Famous bands like The Cure, The Fall, and Siouxsie and the Banshees played there. However, some problems occurred in 1985, including damage to property and thefts. Because of these issues, Lord Eliot and the other organizers decided that the 1986 festival would be the last one.
The Port Eliot Festival
In 2003, Peregrine Eliot, 10th Earl of St Germans started a new event called the Port Eliot Lit Fest in Cornwall. This festival continued as the Port Eliot Festival until 2019, keeping the tradition of arts and culture alive at the estate.
Visiting Port Eliot
In March 2008, Port Eliot house and its grounds opened to the public for the very first time. It was open for 100 days and welcomed 12,000 visitors. Today, there is a shop and a cafe with gardens that are open all year round. You can also take guided tours of the house to learn more about its history and the Eliot family.
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