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Penpol is a grade two listed building on the north coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, situated around two miles inland from Boscastle. The building has been dated to 1600 but recent evidence discovered by its new owners dates the building to two hundred years previous to this date. Two opposing modern annexes have been built on the land surrounding the house, both since 1970 but in keeping with the original slate and stone brick work of Penpol.
Penpol was believed to be the original farm house to the north facing side of the Valencey valley as far as Peters Wood and Helsett Farm. The name comes from the Cornish "Pen" (place of) and "Pol" (pool) which refers to the surrounding geographical relief, including marshland and river including small ox-bow style ponds.
Penpol was once home to a famous London and various Pirate Radio DJ, Mike Raven, and previous to this was left derelict as a pig-house for hundreds of years. It was originally in possession of one of the central families of Lesnewth and Boscastle, the graves of which can be found in Lesnewth and St Juliot's (as designed by Thomas Hardy) church today.
During World War II Penpol was used as a posting house for both US and UK air-force troops and later for children leaving populated cities and towns.
The building was designed with no windows and no upstairs floor and has since been renovated heavily in 1970's and again in 2000's by the currently residing family. Non-original windows date back to the early 1600's and the north-east rear of the building was once believed to have a lean-to pergola style frame which has since perished/destroyed.
[edit] References
- Hardy, Thomas (unknown). Visions of Cornwall. London: Harper Collins. ISBN 0-00-752821-7.
- North Cornwall District Council www.ncdc.gov.uk
- Williams, Neville (1971). Royal Homes. Lutterworth Press. ISBN 0-7188-0803-7.
- National Trust, The (2000). Boscastle and the surrounding area National Trust Press.
- Wright, Patricia (1999; first published 1996). The Strange History of Cornwall. Stroud, Gloucs.: Sutton Publishing Ltd. ISBN 0-7509-1283-9
(Source: Wikipedia) |