Lanhydrock House |
||||||||||
|
Lanhydrock House is cleverly laid out as if the family has just stepped out. Buckets are lined up in the housemaids' closets, black boots stand polished by the bed and tobacco pipes lie waiting for the gentlemen in the smoking room.
The dining table is set for dinner and the menu is handwritten in French. The interior of Lanhydrock is a snapshot of country living for the well-heeled in 1890. This is history at its most authentic.
A tour of this lovely estate allows visitors to trace the history of the Robartes family. Lanhydrock was the finest house in Cornwall and was surrounded by wooded parkland covering 450 acres. Planted with showy flowering shrubs and trees, the gardens are at
 |
| Click Photo for Gallery |
The original house was built in the 17th century and the ornate gatehouse still remains from 1651. However the original land and Barton, or farm, was originally part of the Priory of St Petroc in nearby Bodmin.
During Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries, the estate came into the hands of the Glynn family. It changed hands several times until Lyttelton Trenance sold the estate to Sir Richard Robartes in 1620, when the story of the present-day house really begins.
The money lavished upon the family home was generated from the tin trade which the Robartes family was heavily involved in as merchants, moneylenders and bankers.
Such was their influence that in 1616 Richard Robartes (who had upgraded his name from the more common Roberts!) was made a Baron by James I, as in the king's view he was "wealthy enough to be a peer". Unfortunately even in those days there was no such thing as a free lunch and the Baroncy cost Lord Robartes a hefty £10,000.
The magnificent Tudor mansion which he planned in 1630 took 6 years to complete and in the meantime Lord Robartes died and his son John, 2nd Lord Robartes was the first resident. As the leader of the Cornish Parliamentarians
 |
| Click Photo for Gallery |
A destructive fire in 1880 destroyed much of the house except the north wing, the entrance porch and the gatehouse. Lanhydrock was consequently rebuilt with the very best that money could buy. The 49 rooms which are open to guests shows life on a wealthy country house estate. The family rooms are lavishly furnished in Victorian style and the nursery is a fascinating collection of favourite 20th century toys.
Guests will marvel at the ornate plaster ceilings, tapestries, furnishings and the Long Gallery lined with colourful scenes from the Old Testament.
Not content with the fascinating authentic country house, the 22-acre gardens at Lanhydrock are quite superb. Rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias and magnolias grace the gardens around the house.
Once a tour of the 19th century formal gardens is complete, take a walk along the banks of the Fowey River through the extensive woodland.
The National Trust restaurant at Lanhydrock serves local Cornish fare including Oggie pasties and cream teas, no doubt as once served from the kitchens of the "big house". Local produce and gifts can also be found in the well-stocked shop and there is an extensive plant nursery in the car park.
|
Opening Times
|
|
(2011 times)
House 26th February - 31st March: 11.00am - 5.30pm Tuesday - Sunday 1st April - 30th September: 11.00am - 5.30pm Tuesday - Sunday 1st - 30th October: 11.00am - 5.00pm Tuesday - Sunday. Garden Open all year 10.00am - 6.00pm Daily Shop and refreshments 1st January - 13th February: 11.00am - 4.00pm Saturday and Sunday 19th February - 31st March: 11.00am - 5.00pm Daily 1st April - 30th September 11.00am - 5.30pm Daily 1st-30th October: 11.00am - 5.00pm Daily 31st October - 31st December 11.00am - 4.00pm Daily Plant Centre: 19th February - 30th October: 11.00am - 5.00pm Tuesday - Sunday. Please Note: House open Bank Holiday Mondays and Mondays during state school holidays. Plant centre also open Mondays April to September to 5:30 and Mondays in October. Refreshments open 10:30, 26 February to 30 October. Closed 25 and 26 December. Shop and refreshments are inside the tariff area. Last admission 30 minutes before closing. |
|
Admission Charges
|
|
(2011 prices)
Gift Aid Admission (Standard Admission prices in brackets):Adult £11.50 (£10.40); Child £5.70 (£5.10) Family £28.60 (£26.00); Family (1 adult) £17.20 (£15.60). Garden and grounds only: Adult £6.75 (£6.10); Child £3.65 (£3.30). Reduced rate when arriving by cycle or public transport |
|
Directions
|
|
Cycling NCN3, runs past entrance View local cycle routes on the National Cycle Network website By road 2½ miles south east of Bodmin. Follow signposts from either A30, A38 Bodmin-Liskeard or take B3268 off A390 at Lostwithiel By train Bodmin Parkway 1¾ miles via original carriage-drive to house, signposted in station car park; 3 miles by road Ordnance survey reference 200:SX088636 |
| Show map of Lanhydrock House... |
|
Lanhydrock House Postcode for SatNav: PL30 5AD |
|
National Trust | Estate Agents |
Copyright © 1999-2012 Excelsior Information Systems Limited.
All rights reserved.
Press Room Terms of Use Privacy Link to Us Index Site Map
