Cotehele

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After a lazy morning, we made our way to Cotehele - a Mediaeval/Tudor house in the Tamar Valley. Reputed to be one of the least altered Tudor houses in the UK, the earliest buildings date to around 1300. Managed by the National Trust since 1947, the estate includes the house and associated buildings, extensive gardens (inlcuding 5.3 ha of orchards), as well as a quay (on the Tamar River) and a working corn mill. Part of the property was used to establish The Mother Orchard in 2007/8, intended to act as a 'gene pool' to protect local apple varieties. Eventually, more plants will be propogated and made available to the public.

The house was quite different to anything we've seen before. It is definitely grand, but in a very rustic way. The doors, staircases and some of the furniture, were made by the resident carpenter and have a 'home made' look. Almost every room is lined with tapestries. Their primary function was to keep the rooms warm, as well as provide decoration. Although they were quite expensive (worth millions in today's money) the owners treated them like wallpaper - even hacking a hole in one to make way for a new door!

We finally managed to get to 'our local' pub for dinnner. Strangely, the only other people there when we arrived were from Australia (East Gippland)! It's a cosy, traditional pub and the food was great.

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Photos

Cotehele, Cornwall
This side of the house looks down over the gardens that run down to the quay on the Tamar River.

The Old Dining Room, Cotehele, Cornwall
Check out the tapestries!

The Cotehele Clock
The oldest unaltered, working turret clock still in it's original position in the UK. It has no clock face (although, according to the guide, the initiated can read the time from markings on the various gears) but rings a bell on the hour.

The living room of the butler and housekeeper, Cotehele, Cornwall
They were married and had children of their own.

The Upper Garden, Cotehele, Cornwall
Some of the outbuildings can be seen in the background.