Press Release. 22nd October 2010
“The Unknown History of Caerhays”
Talk by Stephen Tyrrell
A book to be published in the spring of 2011 tells the fascinating history of one of Cornwall’s great houses and estates.
The Caerhays Estate, on the county’s south coast, is in a spectacular location, nestled between St. Mawes and Mevagissey.
At its heart is Caerhays Castle, which traces its history back to the 13th century. By the 1500s it was one of the great houses of Cornwall and in the 1800s it was remodelled by the architect John Nash, who was responsible for designing Regent Street in London.
Caerhays Estate has a multi-faceted, rich history dating back to pre-Christian times.
It is all outlined in the privately-published book which has been painstakingly researched and written by the current owner, Chares Williams.
The book has been edited by architectural historian Stephen Tyrrell, who will be revealing some of the unexpected and illuminating episodes from its past at a ticket-only pre-launch event on Sunday 7th November.
In a talk entitled The Unknown History of Caerhays, staged at the castle, Stephen will explore the history of the current building and those that came before.
He will delve into the history and form of the gardens, which were awarded national collection status in 2001 and which contain over 450 magnolia species.
Before the Williams family bought the estate in 1852 it was the home of the Trevanion family – who fled the country when their extensive remodelling of the house led to bankruptcy.
“It was the Trevanions who built Caerhays and it was they who went bankrupt so spectacularly around 1839 that they managed to almost vanish from the history of Cornwall,” said Stephen.
“This talk tells of the Trevanion family and explains the landscape and history of the earlier and current great buildings. It is intended to set out the discoveries at Caerhays which are exciting for the history and gardens of Cornwall.”
Today, Charles Williams manages the estate in a manner which is sympathetic to its history, its environment and its agricultural heritage.
Gardens are open to the public for more than 100 days per year, there are conducted tours of the house and there are 10 holiday lets available.
“I have enjoyed researching the book, which celebrates the life, times, disasters and amusements of Caerhays. It is a wide ranging introduction to a thousand years of history and a century of botanic gardens,” he said.
It contains 620 illustrations and detailed information and appendices which will be invaluable to gardeners.
“It is also an enjoyable read with sufficient variety of content to satisfy any reader.”
The Unknown History of Caerhays talk by Stephen Tyrrell takes place at Caerhays Castle at noon on Sunday 7th November. The ticket price of £30 includes buffet lunch and wine.
