T R E L I S S I C K   T O W E R

 

 

 

Take the busy King Harry Ferry by car across the River Fal from Carlannick, and one immediately arrives at the Trelissick estate and gardens, owned by the National Trust. The somewhat young gardens here are extensively planted with Hydrangeas, Rhododendrons, Camellias, and are surrounded by woodland. Good walks can be enjoyed here virtually all the year round offering good views over the river Fal from a newly built summerhouse within the gardens. Trelissick House, is a very fine neo-Greek mansion with a beautiful portico with many columns and it forms the centerpiece of the gardens, although visiting it is not possible as it is now a private dwelling.

The road from the ferry winds its way uphill to the garden's entrance and standing beside the road itself, is Trelissick Tower, a very pleasing affair indeed and the emblem of Trelissick. This magnificent building is essentially two round towers, very well built from local stones fused into one tower perhaps rising to about 40 feet, with a conical slated roof, lucarnes and small finials. It has narrow arrow slit and gothic windows and a circular stair case within the smaller of the towers. The bulk of the larger one contains living space on maybe 4 or 5 floors and is topped off with a gilded squirrel weathervane, that brightly gleams in the morning sunlight. The squirrel was added by Carew Gilbert from his family coat of arms in the late 19th century. It is thought that the structure was designed and built primarily to serve as a water tower to the mansion due to its elevated position, by a Thomas Daniell sometime around the 1820's, although precisely when it was built remains unclear.

The tower is now rented out as a fabulous holiday home, complete with its own walled private garden, and I would imagine, it boasts superb views over the Fal estuary just down the hill and the surrounding countryside. It even comes with its own royal mail box, built into the lower wall.

 

Visiting:-

Found easily, The tower is situated by the road from the King Harry ferry on the B3289. The gardens and ferry are both signposted from the main road.

Co-Ords.................183600/039600 SW 836 396

 

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