Godolphin House and Estate
The Godolphins were one of Cornwall's great families, wealthy from tin and copper mining and influential at court, but their home degenerated to farmhouse after the line died out in the early 18th century. In 1937 it was bought by Philadelphia Impressionist artist Elmer Schofield. For 70 years the Schofield family struggled to maintain and restore Godolphin but in 2007 it passed to the National Trust. Inside is fine 16th and 17th century English furniture, a good collection of Windsor chairs, and the paintings of Elmer Schofield and his son Sidney. The famous Wootton portrait of the Godolphin Arabian racehorse, one of three from which all thoroughbreds descend, was once here; sadly no longer. We first visited in May 2003, admired the ancient buildings, enjoyed the open part of the house, tended by aged docents, and had a glorious walk. We revisited in 2006 and again in April 2007. We were back again in 2009 to check on progress of the house under the National Trust and to see how restoration of the important medieval garden is going. Also in April 2007 I had a delightful walk from here taking in both Godolphin Hill and Tregonning Hill. It is well worth visiting Godolphin at bluebell time, the woods are absolutely carpeted with them.
The colonnading is repeated inside the courtyard
Jane in the bluebell woods at Godolphin
Photographs
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Lanhydrock House, Garden and Estate
Lanhydrock is the National Trust's most visited Cornish property, though many visitors are locals who come just to enjoy the extensive parkland and woodland gardens (if all you want to do is walk in the park, a public footpath runs through). As a result, the house is rarely as busy as the car park may suggest. The ancestral home of the Robartes family has every appearance of a great Tudor mansion but only one wing is original; the rest was rebuilt in entirely sympathetic style after a disastrous fire in 1881. Inside, the Victorian rooms are impressive but for us the most enjoyable feature was the remarkably preserved 'below stairs', from where dozens of servants ran the house with military precision. There is a small church behind the house, carefully tended formal gardens between the gatehouse and the house, spring gardens behind the church and hilly woodland gardens, filled with bluebells in spring, running down towards the River Fowey. Lanhydrock is just to the south of Bodmin and easily accessible from the main A30 highway (it is well signed). There are three restaurants - one in the house, one in the courtyard, one by the main car park - and a good shop. Parking is a long way from the house but a golf buggy operates a shuttle service for those not wanting to walk. See Countryside page for Walks on the Estate
Mount Edgcumbe
Edgcumbe
Pencarrow
Pencarrow is our local 'great house' (our friend Caroline was a guide there) yet we first took a house tour as recently as 2004. The fine Georgian house is the home of the Molesworth St. Aubyns - a branch of the St. Aubyn family formerly of Clowance and now of St. Michael's Mount. It has some good furniture but it is the paintings and the porcelain that stand out: landscapes and sea-scapes, portraits by Reynolds, and collections of Meissen, Sevres and Worcester. Our guide was terrific but we felt that the tour was rather too long at an hour and a quarter. Gardens are at their best in May for the rhodos, azaleas and bluebells though the recent 'Mole's' stream garden should be good in all seasons. The tea room, though small, is good but, if you choose to eat outside, you should beware peacocks. There is normally ample parking in a courtyard away from the house, where there is also a shop. The long drive to the house is through lovely beech woods, filled with bluebells in spring, and passes through an iron age fort, a great bonus for those who enjoy antiquities. Our recommendation would be to visit this charming place in late spring when the rhododendrons and azaleas in delightful gardens are at their best.