P e n t i l l i e   T o w e r

 

(best viewed full screen f11)

 

A room without a view

Sir James Tillie was a noted Cornish eccentric. He resided in a 17th century castellated mansion house built on a hillside. This grand house was called Pentillie Castle and enjoyed a brilliant view overlooking the river Tamar below. Before his death in 1712, Sir James Tillie constructed himself a peculiar tower of 3 stories, at the summit of a higher hill he named Mount Ararat, across the fields and certainly within sight of his house. During his life, I am presuming it may have served as a personal retreat for him, although due to a lack of windows, it has only 1, -tends to dismiss this notion, or at the very least to serve as an eye catcher that he could view from the mansion's balcony. But Sir James had other plans for his creation.

Upon Sir James's death, quite bizarre burial instructions were discovered in his will. He demanded to be placed seated in a room on the uppermost floor of his tower, and to be dressed in his best clothes -of course- and with a wig and a fine hat set upon his head. He requested his hands be placed upon his knees, and then be secured with iron bonds! Around him was to stand a chest of oak containing his books and his other personal effects. A final roast dinner was to be cooked and placed upon a table in front of him, complete with a glass and a bottle of the finest port. Sir James would sit here and wait for his resurrection and his return to Pentillie, he believed, 2 years later.

Mad Jack Fuller, the highly eccentric squire of Brightling in Sussex was also buried in a similar manner, although he demanded broken glass be scattered about the floor of his pyramid tomb, in an attempt to prevent the devil from making off with his bottle of wine.

Sir James's final instructions were indeed carried out. Everything he had requested was put in place, including himself! Unfortunately within a few years of being incarcerated in his tower-come mausoleum, nature began to take her course upon the 2 wooden upstairs floors of the tower. Eventually the roof caved in and the whole upper interior rooms collapsed into the ground floor. Sir James's remains had since rotted away, - within a couple of years, and his skeleton had long fallen from its chair before this catastrophe ever took place.

A Ghastly Business

Poor Sir James's remains were gathered up and placed decently, within a coffin. He was then properly buried in a grave beneath the ground floor of his tower. Perhaps as to not trouble his spirit and to respect his wishes, a life-size statue of Sir James, complete with his wig, sitting in a chair with his hands upon his knees, was I believe, then added to the ground floor's interior. I suspect any remains of Sir James still to this day, do rest at the statues feet.

The tower mausoleum itself, is square, fairly squat, maybe thirty or so feet high and is constructed from uneven rough bricks of varying shapes and size with many decaying castellations. It is surrounded by a high wall and has an arched entrance porch reached by several steps. Thankfully the doorway is sealed by a strong iron gate. Being hidden away amongst woodland makes it a very eerie, certainly creepy place to visit indeed. The tower is falling horribly into decay, is covered in ivy and the ground floor is now entirely overgrown with brambles and ferns.

Above the doorway is a large recess where a plaque was once probably attached, now long since vanished. In the photograph above, the statue of Sir James can just be made out as he quietly sits and looks out through the entrance admiring his view of the Tamar River.

The second floor where Sir James's body probably sat has a key hole shaped window. There also appears to be a side door to the ground floor, now blocked up.

Visiting:-

Pentillie Estate is private. The "castle" was mostly demolished in 1968 and a new house rebuilt, although a 17th century wing that Sir James knew well was kept. The house is not open to the public.

Reached by a minor road from the A338 from Paynter's Cross, and following the footpath round to the tower. There are no places to park and even less space to turn even a small car.
As I was informed by a rather cross gamekeeper only naturally, very concerned about the presence of an enthused folly hunter and the welfare of his pheasants, (Mount Ararat is a game reserve), the tower is on private land. I strongly urge any potential visitor to seek permission with the estate manager first!

Co-ords..........239500,65500 SX 406 651

 

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