Location

Trenarth Manor lies south of Falmouth near the Helford River in south Cornwall.

The North Helford area stretches along the north bank of the beautiful Helford River and separates the Helford River from Falmouth. The area is knitted together by the charming villages of Mawnan Smith, Constantine, Port Navas and Helford Passage, together with wooded creeks, rolling farmland, not forgetting the wonderful gardens of Trebah and Glendurgan. Nearby Port Navas has its own yacht club with restaurant and once home to the Duchy Oyster Farm, a historic stone quay sits opposite the house and plays host to the annual Port Navas Regatta.

The Helford River itself has deep-water moorings and an active sailing club. There are two local waterside pubs; the thatched Shipwrights pub on the south side of the river and the Ferry Boat Inn on the north side. Much of the countryside surrounding the Helford Estuary is owned by the National Trust and is designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, flush with an endless number of beautiful creek-side and coastal walks.

The nearby village of Mawnan Smith has excellent day-to-day amenities include public house, doctors surgery, garage, convenience stores, village hall and a primary school.

Constantine has also has its own primary school and provides a good range of shops and amenities, including the renowned Constantine Stores wine merchants, whilst the port and university town of Falmouth is close at hand with its sandy beaches and yacht marinas. About an hour’s drive, Newquay airport has regular flights to London while in Truro - approximately half an hour’s drive, there are independent prep’ and secondary schools and a mainline station with overnight sleeper service to London Paddington.

Description

HISTORY: For over 800 years, Trenarth has been home to those living, working, and farming on its fertile, south-facing slopes. The site was likely chosen for its proximity to the river for communication, abundant woodland for fuel and grazing, streams bordering the fields, and readily available stone for building.

The house itself is a charming patchwork of styles spanning six centuries, reflecting the changing fortunes of its owners. Dating back to at least 1260, its history includes the original Trenarth family, the Trefusis family by marriage in 1658, and the Nicholas family, who held the property from the early 18th century until 1842. Several date stones, such as a 1658 plaque featuring the Trenarth and Trefusis arms with the motto God Giveth Strength, provide glimpses into its past. The early history is described in one chapter of Charles Henderson’s book published in 1937, Constantine in Cornwall - chapter XIV.

The granite-built house features 16th-century cellars and a former kitchen, an 18th-century Georgian front added by the prosperous Nicholas family, and later 19th-century incorporations of outbuildings. A modern garden room, added in 2002, complements this eclectic liquorice all sorts house, which sits at 300 feet above sea level, offering uninterrupted views of its fields, woods, and streams leading to Port Navas creek and the Helford River.

With a landholding that has fluctuated over time between 100 and 200 acres, Trenarth retains its timeless charm and rich historical character, blending practicality with architectural evolution.

DESCRIPTION: A fine Grade II listed country estate with a rich history dating back to the 13th century, Trenarth is set in a serene and idyllic location above the Helford River. Approached via a long drive, the estate spans over 120 acres of rolling pasture and woodland, offering uninterrupted views across its land. Completely private and wonderfully peaceful, it is a true rarity, with the main house, cottages, outbuildings, gardens, and extensive acreage providing endless potential and exceptional lifestyle appeal.

Arranged around an enchanting Elizabethan courtyard, the main house unfolds across 10,847 sqft of beautifully proportioned and character-rich interiors that seamlessly blend centuries of architectural evolution. Originally constructed as a granite farmhouse in the 16th century, the house was later improved with a southwest facing Georgian façade, while successive additions in the 18th and 19th centuries incorporated further outbuildings, creating a harmonious fusion of vernacular and classical styles. Inside, the home abounds with historic features, including grand sash windows, and a elegant period staircase. These timeless elements offer abundant potential for thoughtful reimagination while preserving the house’s storied heritage.

The ground floor offers a series of generous living and entertaining spaces, including an impressive entrance hall, family kitchen, a 17th century refectory with stone mullioned windows, a granite inglenook fireplace and original slate floor, drawing room, TV room, study, dining room and garden room.

Upstairs, a spacious landing leads to a grand principal suite, two further bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms all with high ceilings and captivating garden vistas. A secondary staircase leads up to the south-east facing granny wing where there is a further bedroom with en suite bathroom and study. The East Cottage, which has its own external access, is currently arranged as a self-contained apartment but could easily be restored to the main house to provide two additional bedrooms.

The property also includes useful garaging, utility spaces, and cellars below with the ground source heat pump, ample storage and versatile potential for a variety of uses.

GARDENS AND LAND: The estate is exceptionally private, set within its own exquisitely manicured gardens and grounds with no outside intrusion, offering unmatched peace and tranquillity.

Historically focused on practical horticulture, the farm’s 18th-century garden Listed walls once enclosed vegetable and fruit gardens, with three orchards noted on a 19th-century estate map. Early landscaping features include a lone Monterey pine and remnants of a 19th-century avenue. By the 1950s, the estate supported a horticultural business, producing cut flowers like anemones and daffodils, with traces of greenhouses still evident in the restored potting shed. In the 1960s, the gardens were further transformed with a large orchard, yew hedged garden rooms, terrace walls, and shelter belts. Over the past 28 years, the gardens have expanded to cover 3 to 4 acres, retaining their strong framework of hedges and walls.

Today, the gardens are wonderfully diverse, featuring a 16th-century sheltered courtyard, formal walled gardens, an orchard, and a vegetable patch. The mild climate enables ambitious planting, ensuring year round colour and variety. Recent additions include a gravel garden with granite and palms, a bog garden named Paget’s Puddle, a beech walk, parkland, children’s play areas, and whimsical seating with surprising touches throughout. Commanding views of the surrounding countryside can be enjoyed from nearly every angle. They have been regularly open for many years for the NGS, Cornwall Wildlife Trust, Cornwall Hospices, and the Cornwall Heritage Trust. The creation of the gardens in such a favoured area and location has been a huge pleasure and the result is well described in the entry in Secret Gardens of Cornwall, by Tim Hubbard, published in 2023.

The surrounding fields, largely untouched for centuries, feature hedgerows alive with wildlife in spring and summer, providing a haven for birds, bats, and bees. These fields are ideal for grazing livestock or horses and lead gently southward to an ancient woodland, There is an atmospheric, private walk down a medieval old green lane, through the woods to Trenarth Bridge which is on a creek of the Helford River. Together, the land, gardens, and fields ensure the estate’s enduring privacy, outlook, and natural beauty.

At the top of the drive there is a 100ft glass house, in need of renovation or, with relevant planning permission potential for redevelopment.

To the rear of the house, a collection of charming, converted barns, consisting of five letting cottages, are neatly arranged around a courtyard and feature garages along with a spacious workshop. Just a short distance away, up a separate drive, sits a derelict bungalow in an idyllic setting, with planning permission granted to rebuild it as a four-bedroom family home.

Directions

Directions: From Falmouth/Penryn: Follow Hillhead Road for Mawnan Smith and Constantine. After passing through Argal Crossroads and the hamlet of Lamanva, fork left for Constantine just before Treverva. Follow this road for about a mile, turning left at High Cross Garage by the grass triangle. Fork right off this lane after about 50 yards and follow to Trenarth Manor.

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POSTCODE: TR11 5JN