Description

EGLOSHYALE
SX 07 SW
4/12 Kestle

GV II*

House. Circa late C15 or early C16 remodelled and extended in mid - late C17,
remodelled again and possibly reduced in early C19 and altered in C20. Slate rubble
with granite quoins and slate cills. Delabole slate roof with red clay ridge tiles,
gabled to right hand end of the main range and hipped wing projecting to the left.
Rendered lateral stack at rear of the main range rising from clatslide roof of the
outshut; truncated lateral stack to right hand side of the front wing.
Plan: The existing house has a main range of formerly 2 equal-size rooms with a
central passage which is now 1 large room; the left hand part has a lateral stack at
the back, the position of the stack for the right hand room is uncertain. There is
an unheated outshut behind the main range containing a staircase at the centre. At
the lower left end there is a projecting cross-wing, its front room heated from a
stack on the inner right side and with a C20 staircase at the back. There is
another wing parallel to the cross-wing set back on the left side at the rear, with a
2 storey outshut in the angle in front on the lower left side of the crosswing.
There is also an open-ended lean-to on the lower side of the rear wing.
Development: On the evidence of 3 smoke-blackened arch braced trusses over the lower
left hand end of the main range, it is certain that at least 4 bays were open to the
roof originally. The higher right hand end may also have been open for there is no
solid wall partition in the main range.However, the roof at this end has been
replaced. Furthermore, the open hall may have continued into the lower left end
where there is also no solid internal wall between the main range and projecting
cross-wing. It was probably in the mid - late C17 that the house was remodelled and
enlarged. The hall would have been floored at this time unless there was an earlier
intermediate remodelling. The mid to late C17 work involved the addition of the left
hand cross-wing which seems to have replaced the lower end and passage and which may
have been balanced by another projecting wing of the higher right hand end. The main
range was divided into 2 rooms, the hall to the left and parlour to the right with a
cross-passage between leading to a dog-leg staircase in the rear outshut which was
also added at this time. The rear kitchen wing parallel with and on the lower left
side of the left hand cross-wing is probably an C18 addition. The seat remodelling
was carried out in circa early C19. This probably involved the demolition of the
putative right hand cross-wing, the addition of the 2-storey outshut on the lower
side of the left cross-wing and a lean-to on the lower side of the rear kitchen wing.
The house also seems to have been refenestrated in the early C19 and the interior was
altered including the insertion of another staircase at the back of the cross-wing.
In the C20 the internal partitions on the ground floor of of the main range were
removed and other internal alterations were carried out at the lower left end; the
single storey glazed addition between the rear outshut and lower end rear wing is
late C20.
Exterior: 2-storeys. 1:3 window front. The 3 windows to the right are the main
range; Two 20-pane first floor sashes and a central 12-pane sash, ground floor right
a slighty larger 20-pane sash and a very large tripartite sash to the left, of 8:20:8
panes, all circa early C19. Central doorway with circa early C18 6-panel door, the
top 4 panels now glazed. The projecting wing to the left has one circa late C19
tripartite sash on each floor of 4:12:4 panes; the right hand side of the wing has a
large stone rubble lateral stack, now truncated. At the right hand end a C20 single
storey extension, its parapet ramped up to the end of the main range. At the
junction with'this addition at the right end of the range a large stone rubble
buttress projects,possibly the remains of a wing at this end.
Rear elevation has a catslide roof over the outshut with a hipped dormer behind the
main range to the left; gable-ended wing to right with a circular turret on the right
hand corner and an open-ended lean-to on the right hand side. Between the main range
outshut and the rear right hand wing a C20 glazed single storey additon. The rear
windows are largely C20. At the lower left hand end a 2-storey outshut with a half-
hipped roof in the angle with the rear wing.
Interior: The 2 rooms in the main range are now 1 large room with few old features
except for a fielded 6-panel door at the back of the former passage which leads to a
good mid to late C17 dog-leg staircase in the outshut at the rear; it has a moulded
string, thick turned balusters,moulded handrail and square newels. There are some
early C18 2-panel doors on the first floor and the right hand end chamber has 2 small
cupboards on the back wall with shaped-head panels. The staircase in the lower left
end crosswing was replaced in C20.
Roof: 3 smoke-blackened arch-braced trusses with cranked collars over the lower left
end of the main range. They appear to be middle crucks but the feet of the trusses
are concealed, therefore they could be base crucks alternatively the principals may
even be straight and resting on the wall plates. The upper sections of the
principals are jointed to the base sections just above the collar where there are
vertical struts halved into the collar and principal and clasping square-set purlins.
These purlins, the lower purlins threaded through the principals and ridge-piece and
consequently the rafters are all missing.
There is 1 clean truss over the higher end of the main range which has a roughly
chamfered collar morticed to the principals which appear to be straight. The rest of
the roof over the main range and over the lower end has been replaced. The roof over
the lower end rear wing was not inspected.
Kestle was held by the Kestle family from the reign of King John until 1734 when it
was sold by James Kestell (Polsue). Norden in circa 1585 gives it as the house of
Thomas Keswell. The Hearth Tax Returns of 1666 record 10 hearths at Kestle, the
second largest in the parish.
Source: Polsue, J Lake's Parochial History of the County of Cornwall, 1872,
reprinted 1974.

Listing NGR: SX0163371770

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17556268

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

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  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
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  Yorkshire: York and the East Riding (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects, Supplement 2014