![Porth_Reservoir](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b4/Porth_Reservoir.jpg)
Nanswhyden was formerly a country estate with a mansion house and formal gardens associated with the Hoblyn Family. It is currently a farm with a farmhouse, yard and woodlands. It is situated in the parish of
St Columb Major
St Columb Major is a town and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. Often referred to locally as ''St Columb'', it is approximately southwest of Wadebridge and east of Newquay
Ordnance Survey: Landranger map sheet 200 ''Newquay ...
in
Cornwall
Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...
. The mansion house was destroyed by fire on 30 November 1803.
Nanswhyden House
The estate was purchased by Richard Hoblyn in 1581. The grand house was built in a Palladian-influenced design in approximately 1740. It was reputed to be the most expensive houses built in Cornwall, at that time.
According to
Davies Gilbert
Davies Gilbert (born Davies Giddy, 6 March 1767 – 24 December 1839) was an English engineer, author, and politician. He was elected to the Royal Society on 17 November 1791 and served as President of the Royal Society from 1827 to 1830. He c ...
the historian:
"The basement story was built of granite, the upper part with a light coloured slate, or killas, and the whole lined with brick; the door cases, windows, pediment and balustrades were of the Ionic order. The chimney pieces, which were finished in Italy, were remarkably elegant, in respect of the richness of the marble, the delicacy of the design, and the excellence of the sculpture. The library occupied two rooms, the longest of which was 36ft in length, 24ft broad and 16ft high; and all the other apartments were equal in design, and finished throughout in a style in which elegance and comfort were alike combined."
Hoblyn Family
The last person of the direct line of Hoblyns to live at the property was a
Robert Hoblyn. Following his death, the property passed to a relative, known as the Rev Robert Hoblyn of Bath. He had nine children.
The Fire, November 1803
In 1803 during the tenure of Rev Hoblyn the main house was destroyed by fire. It is reputed that the fire was caused by an
oil lamp
An oil lamp is a lamp used to produce light continuously for a period of time using an oil-based fuel source. The use of oil lamps began thousands of years ago and continues to this day, although their use is less common in modern times. Th ...
knocked over by a servant boy. There were no deaths in the fire, that burned for three days. The fire was so intense that molten lead was flowing off the roof. The extensive library was destroyed.
After the fire
Following the fire, the family moved into Nanswhyden farm house. Nothing remains of the house although some outbuildings an stables survive. Following the death of Rev Hoblyn wife the nanswhyden Estate passed to Miss Brune and later it became the property of William Shilston of Tremough In 1855 William Paget Hoblyn (the son of Rev Robert Hoblyn), commissioned a new house for his family at
Fir Hill Manor
Fir Hill Manor is a manor house near Colan, mid-Cornwall, England, dating from the 1850s. In 1994, it was the subject of a BBC Bristol documentary, which tells the story of former Newquay policeman Derek Fowkes as he searches for absentee land ...
, and in 1860 took up residence there.
Remains of the house
Some of the stone from the ruin was used in the building of a walled garden at
Trelowarren
Mawgan-in-Meneage is a civil parishes in England, civil parish in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated in the Meneage district of The Lizard, The Lizard peninsula south of Helston in the former administrative district of Kerrier. The pari ...
The Cornwall Gardens GuideBy Douglas Ellory Pett
References
External links
Entry within British History Online
Newquay Voice article by Matt Bond 2004
The History of Cornwall: From the Earlist Records and Traditions, Volume 2 (page 170) edited by Samuel Drew
{{coord missing, Cornwall
Former buildings and structures in Cornwall
Houses completed in 1740
Buildings and structures completed in the 18th century
Hoblyn family
1740 establishments in England