Lanhydrock House

Photographs taken 2004 to 2008

Lanhydrock House is now in the care of the National Trust, and is one of their most popular properties. The house originally dates from the 1620s, when Sir Richard Robartes started building a new house on the site of (possibly) the old manor house of Lanhydrock. The Manor of Lanhydrock was previously held by the St. Petroc's Priory in Bodmin. The name "Lanhydrock" comes from "Lan - lann", being a holy enclosure, and "Hydrock - hedrek or hydrek", the place of Hydrek, or St.Hydroc who is said to have come to Cornwall as a missionary from Ireland.

Lanhydrock was a Parliamentarian stronghold during the English Civil War, in a Cornwall that was itself mainly Royalist. John Robartes (Richard's son) was however a moderate Parliamentarian, and favoured a Parliament with a Monarchy, and because of this, he returned to favour with Charles II after the Restoration of 1660, and Lanhydrock prospered. In 1881 a serious fire damaged a large section of the house, and the house that is seen today is now an amazing "time capsule" of a lost Victorian age.

For further information about Cotehele House, and events that are held there, see the National Trust Lanhydrock House website.