Description

PERRANUTHNOE
SW 52 NE
3/95 Acton Castle

- II*

Country house. Circa 1775, extended later C18 and again circa late C19. Built for
John Stackhouse, the eminent botanist. 'Granite and elvan ashlar with dressed granite
details. Grouted hipped scantle slate roofs behind embattled parapets. Dressed
granite embattled chimneys over projecting corner piers.
Plan: central original 2-room plan 3-storey over service basement block with central
large stair hall between the rooms. Circa later C18 identical .2 storey 2-rooms wide
wings were added at either side, each wing with octagonal rooms far right and far
left. All built in similar classical style but with battlements and other medieval
style details. Circa late C19, service rooms were added behind the original block
and at about the same time a circular stair tower, with granite newel stair, was
added behind the right hand wing.
Exterior : 3 storeys over basement main block flanked by 2-storey wings. 2:3:2 bays
south front, the central 3 bays and the clasping turrets are broken forward and rise
above the parapet with battlements (the sides, and the rear similar to the front but
now partly concealed by C19 range). The wings have canted front bays, far left and
right. Granite ashlar basement as plinth, elvan ashlar above; mid-floor bands to
parts that are broken forward and to the wings and a moulded cornice to the embattled
parapet over the central block. The wings have battlements which survive over the
octagonal bays only. Tripartite windows to all bays, those of the main block
unaltered with original granite mullions supporting the springing for flat arches
over the middle lights. Original hornless sashes to the first floor. The wings have
iron casements in openings with sills lowered circa 1930s and replaced granite
mullions. Flanking the windows of the bays are blind cruciform pistol loops, and
these are also in the other faces of the octagonal ends. There are small window
openings (cut in the C20) to the front of the wings on either side of the main block;
ground and first floor left and first floor right.
Interior : Original stair and complete C18 room left of the entrance, C18 floors,
probably C18 roof structure and some other C18 features including panelled doors.
The stair has open well and open string with slender column-turned balusters and
ramped mahogony handrail. The left-hand room has panelled walls, a ceiling cornice
with triglyphs and an eared Adam style chimneypiece. In the right hand room is a
circa mid-C19 moulded ceiling cornice with robust egg and dart over bead and reel and
carved trailing band. Linking the first floor rooms at the rear of the stair hall is
an axial passage with a circa late C19 barrel vaulted ceiling with bold ribs. The
ground floor rooms of the wings are now large rooms.
John Stackhouse used this house as a laboratory for his research into marine life
particularly seaweed and it is possible that the wings were built to be used for this
purpose.
Acton Castle is similar to The Manor Office (formerly Trevelyan House qv., Marazion
and Tregenna Castle qv. St Ives, by John Wood the Younger all of circa 1775 and
possibly by the same architect).

Listing NGR: SW5515228445

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Acton Castle at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q17532230

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

• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of History Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990
• 
  Renovating Old Houses: Bringing New Life to Vintage Homes (For Pros By Pros)
• 
  Cambridgeshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 1: The City of London: City of London v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)