Description

FORRABURY AND
SX 09 SE MINSTER

1/13 Welltown Manor
19.1.52
II*
House. Possibly circa early C16. Built for Tinke family who appear to have been of
yeoman status. Slate stone rubble with some quartz. Bitumen coated rag slate roof
with gable end on left and lean-to roof to range on right ; gabled 2 storey porch to
right of centre. Gabled end to rear wing and gabled ends to parellel range on rear.
Stone rubble stack on left hand gable end, stone rubble front lateral hall stack with
round brick shaft in header bond. Stone rubble, possibly originally rear lateral
stack, now axial stack incorporated in rear wing and stone rubble gable end stack to
rear wing.
Plan altered ; appears to have comprised a 3 room and through passage plan (lower end
to right) with turreted stair to rear of higher side of hall, providing access to
chamber above inner room and possibly above hall and turreted stair at lower side of
passage serving chamber above service range. The thick stone wall between the hall
and inner room continues to the apex and the thick stone wall at the lower side of
the passage has been truncated above the first floor ceiling, probably when the
service range was demolished. The ceiling beams above the hall, passage and inner
room are identical in detail and the identical roof structure above the 2-bay inner
room and 4-bay hall and passage appears to be clean although coated with a dark
varnish.
The exact arrangement of the early plan is uncertain although the 2 turreted stairs,
the thick walls at higher and lower side of hall and passage and the low roof line
could support the hypothesis for an open hall, always heated by the front lateral
hall stack with chambers above the service end and inner room. Documents of the
Tinke family dated 1610 only refer to bed chambers above the parlour and buttery
(Chesher p59) possibly further supporting this theory.
In 1609 the Lord Chancellor arbitrated in an argument between Baldwin and John Tinke
after the death of their father (1608) and the house was divided in two with two-
thirds awarded to Baldwin.
The hall may have been ceiled sometime after 1610 and the detail of the ceiling beams
copied from those of the inner room. The chamber above the hall heated by a rear
lateral stack. Probably contemporary with this the two-storey porch was added,
bearing the initials of Baldwin Tinke. In circa C17 a service room was added to the
rear of the hall adjoining the turreted stair and heated by a side lateral stack. In
circa C18 the house was further extended, probably with an outbuilding which
continued to the rear of the higher stair projection paralled with the inner room.
S&1etime prior to 1840 the lower side of the house was demolished and partly rebuilt
with a single storey range.
Two storey. Regular 3 window east front built almost abutting a steep cliff on the
left with ground sloping gently to right. Two storey porch to right of centre and
lower service range on right partly rebuilt. To the left of the porch part of the
front wall has been set forward in line with the projection of the front lateral hall
stack, providing a form of hall projection containing the 4-light hall window and a
similar bay to the inner room which is lit by a 3-light mullion window. The hall
window has hollow chamfered and roll moulded granite mullions and quatrefoiled floral
pattern in label stops and the inner room with simple chamfered granite mullions and
'0 T' carved in label stops. Set back on the left, a C19 part glazed door leads
directly into the inner room. Above the inner room and hall windows, two 3-light
granite hollow chamfered mullion windows in gabled half dormers. The roof structure
above these windows appear to indicate that the gables are later than the main roof
structure, therefore suggesting that either the windows were inserted or enlarged or
alternatively that they previously had raking roofs which were later altered. Two
storey porch with gabled end ; 4-centred granite arch with hollow chamfer, slight
roll mould and curved diagonal stops. Initials 'BT' carved in spandrels and late C19
to early C20 door. Inner door has depressed 4-centred granite arch with chamfer,
diagonal stops and C19 plank door with chamfered ledges. 2-light mullion window in
first floor with hollow chamfered mouldings. To the right of the porch the lower
service end has been remodelled ; single storey range with lean-to roof. Rear
elevation; depressed 4-centred granite arch to passage with chamfer and diagonal
stops. Possibly earlier masonry of service range party incorporated in rear wall.
Interior largely complete with chamfered timber lintels with cyma stops to door and
windows openings and slate flag floors. Hole for drawbar to inner front entrance.
Through passage has thick wall on lower side of passage and screen on higher side of
passage has been removed although there is evidence of its position in the ceiling
beam above. The five main beams to the hall and passage are substantial for a
Cornish house and are chamfered with cyma stops. The secondary beams are morticed,
over half are bow-tell moulded, the others possibly replaced. The hall fireplace is
composed of jambs of granite and polyphant stone with a greenstone lintel; chamfered
with diagonal stops and chamfered pentan to rear. Evidence of blocked openings in
rear wall of hall. Small slate plaque set into higher cross wall inscribed W:PW:M:
Inner room; fireplace with chamfered granite lintel and jambs with diagonal stops. 3
main cross beams with bow-tell moulded secondary beams of similar detail to hall.
C17 cupboard in cross wall with scratch moulded frame and later door with HL hinges.
In lower side of passage blocked opening with circa later C16/C17 unmoulded timber
door frame and remains of three steps of stone newel stair within. Service wing to
rear of hall with heavy chamfered ceiling beam similar in detail to hall and parlour.
Stone stair with truncated timber newel post to rear of hall. Chamber above inner
room has chamfered timber door frame and unmoulded granite fireplace. The chamber
above the hall has been divided in two with circa C19 door-frame leading from stair.
The chamber was heated by a corbelled timber fireplace with chamfered timber lintel,
run out stops and corbelled chamfered and stopped timber brackets. Small chamber
above porch with chamfered timber lintels to door and window. C17 chamfered timber
door-frame to chamber above rear service wing.
Roof structure 2 bay roof structure above inner room with jointed face pegged cruck
truss, the joint visible only on the east side. The collar and principals are
chamfered on the higher side, the apex is morticed and carries a diagonally set ridge
and the collar is dovetailed with double notch and lap-jointed onto the higher side
of the principals. Two tiers of trenched purlins, largely original with original
common rafters on east side. The whole of this roof structure has been coated with a
dark varnish.
4-bay roof structure above hall ; identical in detail to that above inner room. All
the trusses are coated with a dark varnish with exception of the lower truss (above
the higher side of the passage) which is absolutely clean. This latter truss was
definately not a closing truss and the purlins have been truncated thereby proving
that the roof structure above the passage has been completely altered. The roof
structure above the porch was inaccessible. The roof structure above the rear wing
and turreted stair appears to have been altered; a jointed raised cruck truss spans
this range with one side set in the thick wall to the rear of the stair projection
and the other side open above the rear wing; the strange arrangement would appear to
indicate the resetting of an earlier truss: The roof structure above the rear C18
wing also comprises several reused trusses, some with morticed apices but with
roughly lap-jointed collars.
Considerable documentary evidence relating to Tinke family in County Record Office
Truro.
Welltown Manor is a particulary interesting and complete circa mid C16 house with
remarkably well preserved details.
Chesher, V. M. and F. J. The Cornishman's House 1968
Maclean, Sir John Parochial and Family History of the Deanery of Trigg Minor
in the County of Cornwall, 1870.
Sedding, E. H. Norman Architecture in Cornwall, a handbook of Old Cornish
Ecclesiastical Architecture, 1909.
Information from owners
See also Baring-Gould, S John Herring where Welltown was Herring's home.

Listing NGR: SX0882990350

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17565054

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.

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