Pentillie
Encyclopedia
Pentillie is a grade II* listed country house
and estate
, located on the banks of the River Tamar
in Pillaton
, near to St Mellion
, in Cornwall
, England
, in the United Kingdom
. The nearby village of St Dominick at one time belonged to the estate.
), owner of the estate, Newton Ferrers. Soon after the sudden death of Sir John, Tillie improved his fortunes by wedding his patron's widow, Elizabeth. Tillie then divided the Newton Ferrers estate, and commissioned the building of Pentillie, which was completed in 1698. James Tillie died in 1713, leaving the Pentillie estate to his nephew, James Woolley. On his death the estate was passed to Woolley's daughter Mary Jemima, who went on to marry Peter Coryton, the new heir of Newton Ferrers, thereby reuniting the two estates. Pentillie then became the main seat of the Coryton family in Cornwall.
The Corytons were a prosperous 18th century family, becoming owners of more than 20000 acres (80.9 km²) of land in Cornwall. In 1809, the family appointed the famous landscape designer Humphry Repton
, to draw up plans for a remodelling of Pentillie. Repton envisaged an impressive Gothic Revival
castle, and as a consequence of his vision, Pentillie was extensively enlarged in 1810, with the construction of three new wings to the west side of the old structure. The building thus enclosed a central open courtyard.
Pentillie remained under the ownership of the Coryton family for the whole of the 19th and 20th centuries. However, during the Second World War the south wing of Pentillie Castle was requisitioned, and used as maternity ward for the local population. By the 1960s the house was in a poor state of repair, and the decision was taken to demolish most of the 1810 construction. The subsequently remodelled Pentillie Castle was declared a listed building in 1968.
In 2007, Pentillie was inherited by Ted Spencer and his wife Sarah (they have subsequently changed their surname to Coryton). In 2009 and 2011, Pentillie was the subject of a Channel 4
television programme presented by hotelier Ruth Watson
as part of her Country House Rescue
series.
s, civil partnerships, corporate events and private parties. Accommodation at the castle is also available. In addition, the estates gardens are being restored and are open to the public on specific open days.
English country house
The English country house is a large house or mansion in the English countryside. Such houses were often owned by individuals who also owned a London house. This allowed to them to spend time in the country and in the city—hence, for these people, the term distinguished between town and country...
and estate
Estate (house)
An estate comprises the houses and outbuildings and supporting farmland and woods that surround the gardens and grounds of a very large property, such as a country house or mansion. It is the modern term for a manor, but lacks the latter's now abolished jurisdictional authority...
, located on the banks of the River Tamar
River Tamar
The Tamar is a river in South West England, that forms most of the border between Devon and Cornwall . It is one of several British rivers whose ancient name is assumed to be derived from a prehistoric river word apparently meaning "dark flowing" and which it shares with the River Thames.The...
in Pillaton
Pillaton
For the village in Staffordshire, see Pillaton, StaffordshirePillaton is a village and civil parish in south east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom....
, near to St Mellion
St Mellion
St Mellion is a village and rural civil parish in east Cornwall, United Kingdom. The parish is three miles south of Callington and is in the St Germans Registration District. The population in the 2001 census was 377...
, 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...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, in the 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 nearby village of St Dominick at one time belonged to the estate.
History
From a poor background, James Tillie (16 November 1645 – 15 November 1713) rose through the ranks, and became an agent for Sir John Coryton (son of William CorytonWilliam Coryton
William Coryton was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1624 and 1641. He was expelled from parliament for falsyfying returns....
), owner of the estate, Newton Ferrers. Soon after the sudden death of Sir John, Tillie improved his fortunes by wedding his patron's widow, Elizabeth. Tillie then divided the Newton Ferrers estate, and commissioned the building of Pentillie, which was completed in 1698. James Tillie died in 1713, leaving the Pentillie estate to his nephew, James Woolley. On his death the estate was passed to Woolley's daughter Mary Jemima, who went on to marry Peter Coryton, the new heir of Newton Ferrers, thereby reuniting the two estates. Pentillie then became the main seat of the Coryton family in Cornwall.
The Corytons were a prosperous 18th century family, becoming owners of more than 20000 acres (80.9 km²) of land in Cornwall. In 1809, the family appointed the famous landscape designer Humphry Repton
Humphry Repton
Humphry Repton was the last great English landscape designer of the eighteenth century, often regarded as the successor to Capability Brown; he also sowed the seeds of the more intricate and eclectic styles of the 19th century...
, to draw up plans for a remodelling of Pentillie. Repton envisaged an impressive Gothic Revival
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
castle, and as a consequence of his vision, Pentillie was extensively enlarged in 1810, with the construction of three new wings to the west side of the old structure. The building thus enclosed a central open courtyard.
Pentillie remained under the ownership of the Coryton family for the whole of the 19th and 20th centuries. However, during the Second World War the south wing of Pentillie Castle was requisitioned, and used as maternity ward for the local population. By the 1960s the house was in a poor state of repair, and the decision was taken to demolish most of the 1810 construction. The subsequently remodelled Pentillie Castle was declared a listed building in 1968.
In 2007, Pentillie was inherited by Ted Spencer and his wife Sarah (they have subsequently changed their surname to Coryton). In 2009 and 2011, Pentillie was the subject of a Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
television programme presented by hotelier Ruth Watson
Ruth Watson
Ruth Watson , is an English hotelier, broadcaster and food writer.-Early life and career:Born in London, Ruth Watson was educated in London and at Westonbirt School in Gloucestershire...
as part of her Country House Rescue
Country House Rescue
Country House Rescue is an observational documentary series which airs on British terrestrial television channel, Channel 4. The series has also aired on BBC Canada, ABC1 in Australia and Living in New Zealand....
series.
Pentillie today
Today, Pentillie Castle is available for hire for weddingWedding
A wedding is the ceremony in which two people are united in marriage or a similar institution. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes...
s, civil partnerships, corporate events and private parties. Accommodation at the castle is also available. In addition, the estates gardens are being restored and are open to the public on specific open days.