Harlyn House, St. Merryn, Cornwall

Description

ST MERRYN HARLYN
SW 87 NE
1/261 Harlyn House
25.10.51

GV II*

House. C17, possibly with earlier fabric, remodelled and extended in circa
early C18 (or circa 1780 see plan description), alterations of 1798 (datestone)
and remodelled again in circa 1820. Coursed local slate rubble with slate
dressings. Stone rubble axial and gable end stacks. Plan: The existing plan is
approximately T-shaped overall. The main double-depth front range is 4 rooms
wide, the righthand end room is the full depth, the left-hand end room has a
small room (library) partitioned off at the back. The 2 shallower central
rooms, the hall to the left and dining room to the right have behind them a
stairhall to the left and back entrance hall and passageway to the right. The
back wing is incorporated into this central rear section and has a cross-wing at
the end and small block behind that at the back. Although some of the fabric
might date from the Treggoye's (or Tregrew's) Medieval house the earliest
dateable features are C17 ie the carpentry and plasterwork in the rear wing,
including the C17 roof over the rear wing and its cross-wing at the back. The
plasterwork is dated 1635 and there is a 1634 datestone on the exterior. This
work would have been carried out by Thomas Peter who rebuilt the earlier house.
In the C18 the rear wing was relegated to a service wing and the main front
range was either newly built or drastically remodelled and largely rebuilt from
an earlier range. In style it appears to be early C18 (viz the facade, panelled
library sections of moulded cornices on first floor and the roof structure) but
Gilbert writing in 1820 reported that "a great part of the old buildings was
taken down about 40 years ago and the remainder has been modernised", which
would mean a rather old- fashioned house of 1780. The datestone 1798 at the
back probably refers to some intermediate work as well as the addition behind,
west of, the rear cross-wing, and not to what was clearly a major remodelling
somewhat earlier in the C18. The house was remodelled again in circa 1820 (there
is a roof-truss dated 1821 over the main staircase which was formed at this
time). The 1821 work is in Gothic style and included the remodelling of the
principal rooms in the main front range, but the exterior was left largely
unaltered from its C18 phase. Exterior: 2 storeys. Symmetrical 2:3:2 bay east
front with parapet, cornice and pediment over the centre 3 bays which breaks
forward. Tall narrow window openings with flat-dressed stone arches and 8-pane
sashes which would have replaced sashes with thicker glazing bars. Venetian
central window on first floor with slate cornice and round-headed central light.
Central doorway in raised surround with rectangular overlight and late C19 or
C20 panelled door. The right-hand (north) elevation has an asymmetrical arrange-
ment of early C19 sashes complete with glazing bars, the first floor with
2-centred arches and intersecting glazing bars. Also on the north side a reused
Medieval 2-centred moulded arch doorway possibly from the ruined Constantine
church. The south side (south elevation of rear wing) has various C19 or early
C20 casements with glazing bars and an early C19 12-pane sash. To the right the
back of the front (east) range has circa 1820 2-light Gothic style stone mullion
2-light windows with hoodmoulds and sashes with Gothid glazing bars and to the
left a moulded 4-centred arch doorway with a hoodmould. Over the roof at the
back of the front range a large circa 1820 wooden lantern, octagonal on plan and
with Gothic glazing. Interior: The hall has Victorian plaster ceiling and an
imported carved wooden overmantel dated 1650. The left hand (drawing) room has
Gothick joinery plaster ceiling and C19 marble chimney-piece. 1820 Gothick
open-well staircase with cast-iron balustrade and Gothick niche with canopy.
The stairhall and landing have Gothick plaster vaults and there is a large octagonal
lantern above the stair. The library has C18 fielded panelling, giant fluted
pilasters and dentilled cornice. The dining room (right hand front) has C19
Gothick plaster ceiling. 4-centred arch above at one end and a black marble
chimney-piece. The bedchambers have C18 joinery including C18 chimney-pieces
and grates. The left-hand room has fielded panelling coved ceiling and C18 marble
chimney-piece with an iron grate. The left-hand rear room has circa 1820 coved
ceiling with moulded cornice and marble chimney-piece with Tuscan columns and
grate. The rear wing has sections of C17 moulded plaster friezes with sea-
serpents; C17 moulded and panelled door and a blocked doorway with an ovolo-
moulded frame with elaborate carved stops. The C17 back staircase has a closed
string intermediate moulded rail with moulded balusters below and moulded
muntins above, above which is a moulded handrail; square newels with acorn
finials. The ground floor room in the rear cross-wing has closely-spaced
unchamfered ceiling beams and plaster frieze with fleur-de-lis and roses and
plaster date over fireplace 1635. Massive moulded wooden doorframe inside rear
porch with carved stops. Roof over front range has principal rafters with
morticed apexes and pairs of collars lapped and pegged to the face of the
principals. The back wing and back cross-wing have closely-spaced principal
rafters with threaded purlins, threaded ridgepiece, and notched lap-jointed
collars halved and pegged onto the principals.

Listing NGR: SW8721175117

External Links

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British Listed Buildings

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Harlyn House

A Grade II* Listed Building in St. Merryn, Cornwall

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Description

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