Godolphin Estate
Encyclopedia
- For the thoroughbred horse racing stables, see Godolphin Racing.
- For the English politicians, see Earl of GodolphinEarl of GodolphinEarl of Godolphin was a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1706 for Sidney Godolphin, 1st Baron Godolphin, the Lord High Treasurer. At the same time, he was created Viscount Rialton. In 1684 he had already been created Baron Godolphin, of Rialton, also in the Peerage of England...
or Sidney Godolphin (1652-1732)Colonel Sidney GodolphinColonel Sidney Godolphin came from an ancient Cornish family. The Godolphin family had held a long lease of Scilly since the late 16th century. Godolphin was Governor of The Isles of Scilly and Auditor of Wales...
The Godolphin Estate is a National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
property situated in Godolphin Cross
Godolphin Cross
Godolphin Cross is a village in the former Kerrier District of west Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is located in the parish of Breage approximately midway between the towns of Hayle and Helston....
, a few miles north-west of Helston
Helston
Helston is a town and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated at the northern end of the Lizard Peninsula approximately 12 miles east of Penzance and nine miles southwest of Falmouth. Helston is the most southerly town in the UK and is around further south than...
in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
The Estate is the former seat of the Dukes of Leeds
Duke of Leeds
Duke of Leeds was a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1694 for the prominent statesman Thomas Osborne, 1st Marquess of Carmarthen...
and the Earls of Godolphin
Earl of Godolphin
Earl of Godolphin was a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1706 for Sidney Godolphin, 1st Baron Godolphin, the Lord High Treasurer. At the same time, he was created Viscount Rialton. In 1684 he had already been created Baron Godolphin, of Rialton, also in the Peerage of England...
. It contains a Tudor/Stuart mansion, complete with early formal gardens (dating from ca. 1500) and Elizabethan stables (circa 1600). The present house is remnant of a larger mansion. At one time it was a secondary seat of the Dukes of Leeds, but the Duke sold it in 1929.
The Godolphin Estate came into the ownership of the National Trust in 2000. The Estate measures 2.22 square kilometres (555 acres). The Trust has been improving public access to the Estate.
Godolphin Hill provides views over west Cornwall. More than 400 recorded archaeological features range from Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
enclosures to 19th-century mine
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
buildings.
The large village of Godolphin Cross (sometimes Crossroads), in the parish of Breage
Breage, Cornwall
Breage is a civil parish and village in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The village is situated three miles west of Helston....
, adjoins the estate to the east. Amenities include a public house and also a primary school.
House and gardens
Godolphin House is located at . The house and gardens were acquired by the National Trust in August 2007. Various events are held throughout the year including food and craft fairs. The food and drink event held on May Bank Holiday weekend attracts up to 3000 people and is a popular event in Cornwall.The house is approached from the north and consists of three wings around a square courtyard and the front wall of a further building on the south side. The main buildings originally stood to the south of this with two projecting wings. One room of the 16th century remains in the east range; this has linenfold panelling. Opposite the hall range is the Jacobean range; the north side is castellated and has a loggia of seven bays on the ground floor. Stylistc features here appear to be of the mid 17th century and suggest that the accepted date for the house of after 1712 is very unlikely.