A four bedroom house on the River Fowey that rose from the ruins of the English Civil War
Grade II-listed Stannary House offers peaceful Cornish living and plenty of historical provenance.


Here at Country Life, and this might surprise you, we are big fans of history and historical buildings. Therefore it’s always a treat when a property comes up for sale that is practically dripping in it. And even more so when it’s in the West Country.
Step forward Stannary House, for sale with Lillicrap Chilcott and Jefferys for £795,000, which offers four bedrooms, two bathrooms and three reception rooms adjacent to the River Fowey.
The Stannary Palace in Lostwithiel, on which Stannary House now sits, was first built in the late 13th century by the Earls of Cornwall as their centre of administration. It was also sometimes known as the Ducky Palace.
In September 1644, the English Civil War was raging and the Earl of Essex took the town of Lostwithiel who made it his headquarters. As a result of the battle to take the town, much of the Palace was destroyed, including the Great Hall, which was modelled on Westminster Hall.
Bad news for the Earls (and later Dukes) of Cornwall. Good news for whoever wants a spacious family home in Lostwithiel. Which I imagine is quite a few people.
Set over three floors, the property is relatively compact and makes the most of its available space. The bedrooms are all of a roughly equal size, and are situated on the first and second floors, with a bathroom on each.
The ground floor contains the generously sized family and sitting rooms, and the large kitchen/dining room, with its glorious slanted roof in which you’ll find skylights, providing plenty of natural light and the room a great heart of the home.
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Overall, the property offers a fraction over 2,100sq ft of living space in the heart of Loswithiel, providing easy access to the many amenities the town has to offer.
It also has a spacious walled garden, which features fully stocked beds, lawned areas, a pergola with a variety of climbers, an ornamental pond and a paved sitting area adjacent to the house.
Credit: Getty
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James Fisher is the Deputy Digital Editor of Country Life. He writes about property, travel, motoring and things that upset him. He lives in London.
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