Description

EGLOSHYALE SX 07 SW 4/12 Kestle

GV II*

House. Circa late C15 or early C16 remodelled and extended in mid - late C17, remodelled again and possibly reduced in early C19 and altered in C20. Slate rubble with granite quoins and slate cills. Delabole slate roof with red clay ridge tiles, gabled to right hand end of the main range and hipped wing projecting to the left. Rendered lateral stack at rear of the main range rising from clatslide roof of the outshut; truncated lateral stack to right hand side of the front wing. Plan: The existing house has a main range of formerly 2 equal-size rooms with a central passage which is now 1 large room; the left hand part has a lateral stack at the back, the position of the stack for the right hand room is uncertain. There is an unheated outshut behind the main range containing a staircase at the centre. At the lower left end there is a projecting cross-wing, its front room heated from a stack on the inner right side and with a C20 staircase at the back. There is another wing parallel to the cross-wing set back on the left side at the rear, with a 2 storey outshut in the angle in front on the lower left side of the crosswing. There is also an open-ended lean-to on the lower side of the rear wing. Development: On the evidence of 3 smoke-blackened arch braced trusses over the lower left hand end of the main range, it is certain that at least 4 bays were open to the roof originally. The higher right hand end may also have been open for there is no solid wall partition in the main range.However, the roof at this end has been replaced. Furthermore, the open hall may have continued into the lower left end where there is also no solid internal wall between the main range and projecting cross-wing. It was probably in the mid - late C17 that the house was remodelled and enlarged. The hall would have been floored at this time unless there was an earlier intermediate remodelling. The mid to late C17 work involved the addition of the left hand cross-wing which seems to have replaced the lower end and passage and which may have been balanced by another projecting wing of the higher right hand end. The main range was divided into 2 rooms, the hall to the left and parlour to the right with a cross-passage between leading to a dog-leg staircase in the rear outshut which was also added at this time. The rear kitchen wing parallel with and on the lower left side of the left hand cross-wing is probably an C18 addition. The seat remodelling was carried out in circa early C19. This probably involved the demolition of the putative right hand cross-wing, the addition of the 2-storey outshut on the lower side of the left cross-wing and a lean-to on the lower side of the rear kitchen wing. The house also seems to have been refenestrated in the early C19 and the interior was altered including the insertion of another staircase at the back of the cross-wing. In the C20 the internal partitions on the ground floor of of the main range were removed and other internal alterations were carried out at the lower left end; the single storey glazed addition between the rear outshut and lower end rear wing is late C20. Exterior: 2-storeys. 1:3 window front. The 3 windows to the right are the main range; Two 20-pane first floor sashes and a central 12-pane sash, ground floor right a slighty larger 20-pane sash and a very large tripartite sash to the left, of 8:20:8 panes, all circa early C19. Central doorway with circa early C18 6-panel door, the top 4 panels now glazed. The projecting wing to the left has one circa late C19 tripartite sash on each floor of 4:12:4 panes; the right hand side of the wing has a large stone rubble lateral stack, now truncated. At the right hand end a C20 single storey extension, its parapet ramped up to the end of the main range. At the junction with'this addition at the right end of the range a large stone rubble buttress projects,possibly the remains of a wing at this end. Rear elevation has a catslide roof over the outshut with a hipped dormer behind the main range to the left; gable-ended wing to right with a circular turret on the right hand corner and an open-ended lean-to on the right hand side. Between the main range outshut and the rear right hand wing a C20 glazed single storey additon. The rear windows are largely C20. At the lower left hand end a 2-storey outshut with a half- hipped roof in the angle with the rear wing. Interior: The 2 rooms in the main range are now 1 large room with few old features except for a fielded 6-panel door at the back of the former passage which leads to a good mid to late C17 dog-leg staircase in the outshut at the rear; it has a moulded string, thick turned balusters,moulded handrail and square newels. There are some early C18 2-panel doors on the first floor and the right hand end chamber has 2 small cupboards on the back wall with shaped-head panels. The staircase in the lower left end crosswing was replaced in C20. Roof: 3 smoke-blackened arch-braced trusses with cranked collars over the lower left end of the main range. They appear to be middle crucks but the feet of the trusses are concealed, therefore they could be base crucks alternatively the principals may even be straight and resting on the wall plates. The upper sections of the principals are jointed to the base sections just above the collar where there are vertical struts halved into the collar and principal and clasping square-set purlins. These purlins, the lower purlins threaded through the principals and ridge-piece and consequently the rafters are all missing. There is 1 clean truss over the higher end of the main range which has a roughly chamfered collar morticed to the principals which appear to be straight. The rest of the roof over the main range and over the lower end has been replaced. The roof over the lower end rear wing was not inspected. Kestle was held by the Kestle family from the reign of King John until 1734 when it was sold by James Kestell (Polsue). Norden in circa 1585 gives it as the house of Thomas Keswell. The Hearth Tax Returns of 1666 record 10 hearths at Kestle, the second largest in the parish. Source: Polsue, J Lake's Parochial History of the County of Cornwall, 1872, reprinted 1974.

Listing NGR: SX0163371770

External Links

• Wikidata Q17556268

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Recommended Books

• 
  County Durham (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England) by Elizabeth Williamson Nikolaus Pevsner(1983-03-11)
• 
  Harrow on the Hill: A photographic portrayal of listed buildings and structures (Historic Buildings Picture Guides)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair by Hunt. Roger ( 2008 ) Hardcover
• 
  Dorset (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)