Lanhydrock House, Cornwall: A Gem Of A National Trust Property

Lanhydrock in Cornwall is a magnificent 19th century Victorian country house - one of the most fascinating in England.

The house, set in extensive grounds of 360 hectares above the River Fowey, has been owned and managed by the National Trust since 1953.

Originally built in the 1620s, it was largely reconstructed after a fire in 1881, which also saw the addition of a new service wing.

It is a Grade I listed building, surrounded by formal gardens and a hill planted with a variety of shrubs and trees.

The parish church of St Hydroc, located within the grounds of Lanhydrock House, includes parts from the late 15th century.

It features a chancel, nave, north and south aisles, and a three-stage battlemented tower with nine bells.

Eight bells, from the late 19th century, are regularly rung, while the ninth, dating from around 1599, is only occasionally tolled.

The Lanhydrock estate was originally owned by the Augustinian priory of St Petroc in Bodmin, but it passed into private hands following the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 1530s.

In 1620, wealthy merchant Sir Richard Robartes of Truro purchased the estate and began constructing Lanhydrock House.

Designed with a four-sided layout around a central courtyard and built from grey granite, the house was continued by his son, John Robartes, 1st Earl of Radnor, after Sir Richard's death in 1624.

John Robartes was a prominent public figure, serving as Lord Privy Seal and Lord President of the Council.

The house features embattled walls made of rough, massive granite blocks, marked with the years 1636 and 1642, indicating their construction dates.

A barbican gate was later added, and in August 1644, the house was garrisoned by Parliamentary forces under Sir Richard Grenville.

Most of the current building dates from late Victorian times, when the estate came under the ownership of the Agar-Robartes family.

On 4 April 1881, a major fire devastated the south wing and heavily damaged the central section of Lanhydrock House.

The blaze began in the kitchen and was fueled by strong winds that spread the flames along the south wing and the connecting block.

The north wing, including its 116-foot (35 m) Long Gallery, the front porch, and the original mid-17th century gatehouse, survived the fire.

The gallery, renowned for its intricate bas-relief plasterwork depicting the creation, was one of the finest examples in the West of England.

The property was insured for £20,000, split between the Royal Standard Office and the County Fire Office, while the damage was estimated at £8,000 to £10,000.

Reports from August 1881 indicated that the rebuilding would cost £50,000 and be carried out by Messrs Lang and Son of Liskeard.

In 1934, to address income taxes and death duties, the Agar-Robartes family's Cornish landholdings were consolidated into the Lanhydrock Estate Company.

In 1953, the 7th Viscount Clifden, facing severe death duties and without direct heirs, donated the house and approximately 160 hectares (400 acres) of parkland to the National Trust.

This donation preserved the house and its extensive Victorian collections and allowed for the settlement of death duties through a payment in kind arrangement with HM Revenue.

As a result, the remaining Lanhydrock Estate Company assets were retained by the wider family.

Today, the National Trust offer public tour of Lanhydrock House is among the longest offered by any National Trust property.

It includes the service rooms, nurseries, some servants' bedrooms, and the main reception and family bedrooms.

In 2004, it was one of the National Trust's top ten paid-entry attractions, drawing over 200,000 visitors.

Someone who recently visited the estate said: “Lanhydrock is a wonderful place with a stunning mansion and beautiful gardens filled with incredibly vibrant flowers and trees.

”It's hard to imagine the opulence of the people who once lived here.

”The rooms are truly remarkable – from the grand hallways and kitchen to the children’s room and relaxation area, as well as the study and many other spaces.

”This place is definitely worth a visit!”

If you’d like to visit, the address is: Bodmin, Cornwall, PL30 4AB.

We recommend you check opening hours and prices in advance via the National Trust website, as they vary depending on the time of year you visit.

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