Description

TRESCO

SV8914 Tresco Abbey
1358-0/7/120
12/02/75

GV II

Country house. Mostly of 1843 and 1861, with tower of 1891,
for Augustus Smith and Thomas Algernon Dorrien Smith. Roughly
coursed granite with ashlar dressings; slate roofs and granite
ashlar stacks.
Complex evolved plan: main square block with east tower, to
east of west wing and south-west wing. 2 and 3 storeys. North
elevation has 3-storey entrance bay between main block and
west wing, with monogram AS and date 1843 over chamfered
4-centred arched doorway; this is flanked by a slender
3-storey tower with small windows, corbelled-out parapet and
pyramidal roof and a canted 3-storey bay to left with a
similar corbelled parapet; chamfered surrounds to entrance bay
and canted bay 2-light mullioned windows; oriel window of 1851
further to right. Courtyard to rear has corbelled lintels over
doorway and 2/2-pane sashes to 3-storey left-hand (east)
elevation which has canted bay brought forward to rear (south)
with 4-light mullioned window set in corbelled parapet above
recessed bay with monogram AS and date 1861 and 2-light
chamfered mullioned window set above 4-centred arched doorway;
similar windows to continuation of range (south-west wing)
flanking south side of courtyard. South-west range has
glazing-bar sashes set in corbelled-out parapet and large
mullioned plate-glass windows to south-east elevation. Main
range has 2-storey 5-bay south-facing elevation with flanking
projecting gables of different sizes flanking bay to centre
with mullioned plate-glass windows and corbelled lintels over
casement windows; similar windows to other elevations;
4-storey east tower has corbelled lintels over mullioned
windows and corbelled-out parapet. Interior: stone flag
floors, granite chimneypieces and panelled doors in chamfered
architraves. Other features include stick-baluster staircase.
Dining Room, mostly completed by 1864, has canted roof with
timber muntins and rails, chamfered pointed arches to
cast-iron stove and Chinese wallpapers brought to England by
Augustus's grandfather, Samuel Smith, a merchant with
connections in the Orient. Doorway to Library with similar
canted roof and wallpapers which leads to small picture
gallery with maps fixed to walls and sitting room with
Italianate pastoral scenes set in architraves. Panelled
ground-floor room with granite chimneypiece in tower.
Overlooks the tropical gardens created by Augustus Smith and
Thomas Algernon Dorrien Smith, Lord Proprietors of the Scilly
Isles. Considerable poverty was prevalent on the islands
before the arrival
of the Smiths in 1834. Augustus Smith made education
compulsory, built churches and other buildings and increased
the prosperity of the islands through the improvement of
agriculture and commerce, principally the introduction of the
flower industry. Augustus was succeeded by his nephew Thomas
Algernon, who continued his work especially in the flower
industry. He was also an amateur architect who was responsible
for the church on Tresco (q.v.) and the Post Office in Hugh
Town (q.v.).
(Buildings of England: Pevsner, N and Ratcliffe, E: Cornwall:
London: 1951-1970: 210; P Laws: The Buildings of Scilly:
Redruth: 1980-: 14).

Listing NGR: SV8952514280

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26433963

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Cambridgeshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
• 
  For the Record
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  Cork: City and County (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)