The Mansions of England & Wales – Cornwall


Cornwall is blessed with many interesting country houses and some still remain in the ownership of the original families who built them. In 1846 Edward Twycross attempted to illustrate and describe many of them. The result was a wonderful country house view book which became the first in a series he commenced under the general title of Mansions of England and Wales. After Cornwall, he produced five further volumes on Lancashire and Cheshire. He had intended to extend the series but this plan was cut short by his early death.


Very few of the Cornish edition were produced. The list of subscribers was fifty two; fifty one of whom had their houses described in the book. It seems that, apart from the subscribers’ edition, few other copies were printed making it one of the rarist country house view books which is much sought after by collectors.

Above: Penventon House.


This beautiful book contains 51 magnificent lithographs with descriptions of over 80 Houses in the county of Cornwall. Included in this volume are views of Antony, Port Eliot, and Pencarrow as well as many of the less well known houses - Lavethan, Penheale, Tregrehan and Tresillian.

Above: Marlborough House.


Houses included: Antony House, Boconnoc, Bray House, Burncoose, Carclew, Carhayes, Carnanton, Catchfrench, Clowance, Coldrenick, Colquite, Cotehele, Enys, Glynn, Grove Hill, Harewood, Heligan, Hengar House, Klymiarvan, Lancarfe, Landew, Lanhydrock, Lanwithan, Lavethan, Luxstowe, Marlborough House, Menabilly, Moor Cottage, Moorswater Lodge, Morval, Newton Ferrers, Pelyn, Penair, Pencalenick, Pencarrow, Pendarves, Penheale, Pennans, Penrice, Pentille Castle, Penventon, Place House, Place (Anthony), Place (Padstow), Port Eliot, Porthgwidden, Prideaux, Restormell, Rosecraddoc, Stoketon House, Tehidy, Thancks House, Trebartha, Trebursye, Tredethy, Tregeare, Tregenna, Tregolls, Tregothnan, Tregrehan, Tregullow, Trehane, Trelaske, Trelawne, Trelissick, Trelowarren, Trematon Castle, Tremeare, Trenant, Trengwainton, Tresillian, Trevarnoe, Trevethow, Trewardale, Trewarthenick, Trewithan, Truthan, Tullimaar, Whiteford House, Wolsdon

Above: Tregothnan House.


This beautiful limited edition measures 270 × 380mm; the 51 plates are printed on acid-free 200gsm Olin Natural paper and the 96 pages of text on 105gsm Lambeth Cartridge. Both these papers have been carefully chosen to replicate the original papers used. It is a limited edition of 175.

Above: Burncoose House.


Making this facsimile has been a collaborative project. Adrian Lack of The Senecio Press, who has had a lifetime’s experience of producing Fine Press Books, has reproduced and printed the facsimile plates and text pages. Ludlow Book Binders, under the direction of Paul Kidson, have produced a replica of the original binding with blind stamped boards and a matching slip case to create a truly beautiful object which matches the craftsmanship of the original.