Description

SW 73 SE CONSTANTINE

6/17 Bosvathick House including
- adjoining walls to west

GV II

Country house. Circa late C17 or early C18, extended and remodelled in early to mid
C19 and extended again in circa 1895. Granite ashlar south front, dressed granite at
rear with granite dressings. Slate hipped roofs with red clay ridge tiles and deep
eaves. Granite ashlar stacks with cornices and weathered caps.
Plan: All that can be seen of the late C17 or early C18 house is the 5-bay south
front. Its 2 principal front rooms and central entrance hall are now the drawing
rooms and its back rooms are now occupied by the entrance hall to the right leading
to the stairhall to the left. The reorientation of the house, probably of circa
early to mid C19, involved the addition of a single storey wing at the back to the
right and a porch at the right side, as well as a complete remodelling of the
interior. In circa 1895 the single storey rear wing was raised to 2 storeys and
extended along the back and left (west) side with library projecting to the left of
the south front, creating a small central courtyard. All that remains of
the probably C16 house are the granite doorways reused in the garden walls and
outbuilding to the west.
Exterior: 2-storeys. The south front: The original circa late C17 or early C18
house to the right has a symmetrical 5-bay front of granite ashlar with cavetto
moulded plinth and a torus moulded string course at first floor level. The windows
have flat granite arches and cills; these original openings have circa early to mid
C19 12-pane sashes, the central window of the first floor is slightly wider. The
central ground floor window is in the position of the original front doorway which
was then pedimented. An illustration dated 1782 in the possession of the owner
depicts a much steeper hipped roof and the existing roof seems to be a C19
replacement with deep eaves. To the left on the south front is the circa 1895 wing
which projects slightly, with a 2-storey granite canted bay with a sash on each side
all without glazing bars; the wing has a moulded string course at first floor level.
The left hand return (west elevation) of the circa 1895 addition is pebble-dash
rendered and has a range of 12-pane sashes.
The right hand return (east elevation): the wall of the original house here seems to
have been rebuilt in early to mid C19 when this side of the house became the entrance
front. It has early to mid C19 12-pane sashes and a large circa early to mid C19
granite ashlar porch with quoins, heavy granite cornice and blocking course and a
round arch doorwy with similarly arched window on either side. Inside the porch
there is a plaster modillion cornice and lantern with acanthus decoration. To the
right of the porch the house was extended at the back by a single storey 3-window
range (now the dining room) with tall 12-pane sashes and later in circa 1895 a second
storey was added which has smaller 12-pane sashes.
The rear north elevation has a 3-window range of sashes and a projecting hipped roof
wing to the right. A well at the rear encloses the service yard.
Including the garden wall adjoining west and set back to the left of the south garden
front: It is of granite rubble and has a C16 4-centred arch granite doorway
incorporated into it; and another similar doorway reused in a small lean-to
outbuilding on the inside (north) of the wall. There is also a section of low wall
with circa late C17 or early C18 coping.
Interior: The principal rooms on the south front are the drawing rooms which have
been refitted in circa mid to late C19 but with plasterwork of circa mid C19 and
joinery that appears to be earlier C19; the chimey-pieces are late C19. The circa
1895 west wing contains the library facing the south garden and it is complete with
late C19 chimney-piece and moulded cornice. The dining room at the back (north east)
has a late C19 black marble chimney-piece and moulded cornice but the window shutter
here appear to be earlier C19. The stairhall has a modillion cornice and a late C19
staircase. The entrance vestibule also has a modillion cornice and an elaborate
wooden chimney-piece incorporating a clock.
Bosvathick has been the seat of the Horsfords since the late C18.
Source: Charles Henderson. A History of the Parish of Constantine in Cornwall.
pages 171 to 174.

Listing NGR: SW7515730295

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26452448

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

• 
  Old House Handbook 2 Books Bundle Collection (Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair,Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability)
• 
  Department for Communities Listed Historic Buildings of Northern Ireland: Information Guide for the 2nd Survey of Historic Buildings
• 
  Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Old House Care and Repair
• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)