Cotehele ( kw, Kosheyl) is a

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

house with Tudor additions, situated in the parish of Calstock in the east of

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 ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

, and now belonging to the

National Trust The National Trust, formally the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, is a charity and membership organisation for heritage conservation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, there is a separate and ...

. It is a rambling granite and slate-stone manor house on the banks of the

River Tamar The Tamar (; kw, Dowr Tamar) is a river in south west England, that forms most of the border between Devon (to the east) and Cornwall (to the west). A part of the Tamar Valley is a World Heritage Site due to its historic mining activities. T ...

that has been little changed over five centuries. It was built by the Edgecumbe family in 1458 after the original Manor House was pulled down. Sir Richard Edgecumbe came into the property after fighting for Henry Tudor in the

Battle of Bosworth The Battle of Bosworth or Bosworth Field was the last significant battle of the Wars of the Roses, the civil war between the houses of Lancaster and York that extended across England in the latter half of the 15th century. Fought on 22 Au ...

. He was gifted with money and the original Manor House and estate and then proceeded to build Cotehele.

History

Probably originating circa 1300, the main phases of

building A building, or edifice, is an enclosed structure with a roof and walls standing more or less permanently in one place, such as a house or factory (although there's also portable buildings). Buildings come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and fu ...

appear to have been started by Sir Richard Edgcumbe from 1485–89 and followed by his son, Sir Piers Edgcumbe, from 1489–152

This house is one of the least altered of the Tudor houses in the United Kingdom. The outbuildings include a stone dovecote in a remarkable state of preservation. For centuries a second home of the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe, Edgcumbe family, it was the first property to be accepted by the Treasury in payment of

death duty An inheritance tax is a tax paid by a person who inherits money or property of a person who has died, whereas an estate tax is a levy on the estate (money and property) of a person who has died. International tax law distinguishes between an es ...

. The house and estate are now under the care of the

. Notable contents include the Cotehele cupboard and the

Cotehele clock The Cotehele clock is situated at Cotehele, Cotehele House, Calstock, Cornwall. It is the earliest turret clock in the United Kingdom still working in an unaltered state and in its original position. It was probably installed between 1493 and 15 ...

. The house contains many tapestries that came, along with much of the furniture, from

Mount Edgcumbe House Mount Edgcumbe House is a stately home in south-east Cornwall and is a Grade II listed building, whilst its gardens and parkland are listed as Grade I in the Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England. Mount Edgcumbe ...

. Regrettably, some have had pieces cut out to fit them in their new locations.

The site

The house is a Grade I listed building, having been so designated on 21 July 1951. The house was probably founded around 1300 and various alterations were made in the early fifteenth century. Sir Richard Edgcumbe seems to have been involved in the first phase of development from 1486 to 1489, with his son Sir Piers Edgcumbe taking over for the second phase, from 1489 to 1520. The grounds stretch down to a

quay A wharf, quay (, also ), staith, or staithe is a structure on the shore of a harbour or on the bank of a river or canal where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers. Such a structure includes one or more berths ( mooring locatio ...

on the

where there is an outpost of the

National Maritime Museum The National Maritime Museum (NMM) is a maritime museum in Greenwich, London. It is part of Royal Museums Greenwich, a network of museums in the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site. Like other publicly funded national museums in the Unite ...

. There are a number of formal gardens and a richly planted area in the valley; features include a medieval dovecote, a stewpond, a Victorian summerhouse and the eighteenth century

Prospect Tower Prospect Tower is a folly on the Cotehele Estate. It has three sides and is 60ft high. When the National Trust was given the Cotehele Estate in 1947 the Trust renovated the tower and constructed a wooden spiral staircase inside, to allow visitors ...

. The gardens and parkland are listed as Grade II* on the Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England. The south west side of the estate is bordered by the Morden stream which joins the Tamar at the quay. The estate mill is fed by this stream. The mill was used to grind grain bought in Plymouth and brought up river on the barge ''Myrtle'', and also to drive a sawmill and a generator for electricity. The Grade II listed mill has been restored to working order, producing flour for use in the restaurant as well as for sale. In 2008 a 'Mother Orchard' of over 250 apple trees, mainly of West-country varieties, was planted. The 8 acre orchard site is divided into eating, culinary and cider varieties.

Cotehele's chapels

Cotehele House Chapel

In Cotehele, on the west side of Hall Court are the Vicarage and the Chapel, the chapel is connected to the main building via a small passageway leading to the dining room. The patron saints are St. Katharine and St. Anne. The chapel is among the oldest rooms in the house, alongside the Great Hall. In the chapel, there is a very rare and the original clock, still in operation today, it dates back to the

Tudor period The Tudor period occurred between 1485 and 1603 in England and Wales and includes the Elizabethan period during the reign of Elizabeth I until 1603. The Tudor period coincides with the dynasty of the House of Tudor in England that began wit ...

Cotehele Woodland Chapel

In the grounds of Cotehele, directly East of the House close to the

, lies a peaceful, basic chapel. inside there are pews going around the walls, two minister's benches and a very ornate table. the patron saints of the chapel are St George and St

Thomas Becket Thomas Becket (), also known as Saint Thomas of Canterbury, Thomas of London and later Thomas à Becket (21 December 1119 or 1120 – 29 December 1170), was an English nobleman who served as Lord Chancellor from 1155 to 1162, and then ...

. The Chapel was built by Sir

Richard Edgcumbe (died 1489) Sir Richard Edgcumbe (alias ''Edgecombe'', etc.) (ca. 14438 September 1489) of Cotehele in the parish of Calstock in Cornwall, was an English courtier and Member of Parliament. Origins He was the son and heir of Piers Edgcumbe of Cotehele b ...

between 1485 and 1489 as a thanksgiving for his escape from forces loyal to Richard III in 1483.

The Edgcumbe Chapel

The Edgcumbe Chapel is located in the East of the Northern aisle at St. Andrew's Church Calstock, it contains two monuments of the late 17th- century: to Piers Edgcumbe (1666) and to Jemima, Countess of Sandwich (1674). it is no longer a chapel, but used by ministers to store religious items.

Film location

Cotehele was used in the filming of

Trevor Nunn Sir Trevor Robert Nunn (born 14 January 1940) is a British theatre director. He has been the Artistic Director for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal National Theatre, and, currently, the Theatre Royal, Haymarket. He has directed dramas ...

's 1996 film adaptation of ''

Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night'', or ''What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night's entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Vi ...

''. it was used for scenes taking place in the quayside tavern and the inside of Orsino's castle.

Gallery

File:Cotehele main building and garden.jpg, Main building and garden File:Cotehele_House,_The_Christmas_Garland_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1604452.jpg, Flower garlands at Cotehele File:Cotehele_House,_The_Christmas_Garland_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1604574.jpg, Flower garlands at Cotehele

References

External links

Cotehele information at the National Trust

Cotehele Mill information at the National Trust
* {{Authority control Gardens in Cornwall Grade I listed buildings in Cornwall Grade I listed houses Country houses in Cornwall National Trust properties in Cornwall Historic house museums in Cornwall Buildings and structures in Cornwall Grade II* listed parks and gardens in Cornwall