{{about||other uses| Carclew (disambiguation)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} thumb|right|300px|Carclew House circa 1830 [[File:Carclew 1841 (2).jpg|thumb|right|300px|Early photograph of Carclew House, taken in August 1841 by Henry Fox Talbot]] thumb|right|300px|Early photograph showing people, including Sir Charles Lemon, left, at one of the colonnaded wings, taken in August 1841 by Henry Fox Talbot

'''Carclew House''', one of Britain's lost houses, was a large Palladian country house near Mylor in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It was situated at {{gbmapping|SW 787 380}} approximately three miles north of Falmouth.<ref>Ordnance Survey: Landranger map sheet 204 ''Truro & Falmouth'' {{ISBN|978-0-319-23149-4}}</ref>

Carclew House was for some generations owned by the Bonython family. It was rebuilt in the 18th century and again in the early 19th century but was destroyed by fire in 1934.<ref>Worsley, p. 186</ref>

==Design and construction==

The original house and estate were purchased by a wealthy merchant William Lemon (1696&ndash;1760) circa 1739. Lemon's townhouse in Truro had been designed by the architect Thomas Edwards, and it was again to Edwards that Lemon turned to substantially increase and modernise his new country house Carclew.<ref name="Cornish History">Cornish History</ref>

Work began in 1739, the enhancement to the mansion included flanking the main block with colonnades terminated by small pavilions in the fashionable Palladian manner, the design was similar in appearance to drawings of Palladio's planned Villa Ragona.<ref>''Cornish History'': "this villa which the reference refers to as "Villa Le Ghizzole" was never built"</ref>

The house is now a ruin, and is home to many wildlife species. The original stone pillars are still there today.

==Enlargement== At the beginning of the 19th century, William Lemon's grandson Sir William Lemon (1748–1824) had the house expanded further. He employed the architect William Wood (1746&ndash;1818) to create new wings in the place of the pavilions designed by Edwards. Work began in 1799 with the east wing being built in 1800 and the west wing in 1802. The wings were linked to the corps de logis by raised colonnaded connecting wings on the site of Edwards's original colonnades.<ref name="Cornish History"/>

Sir Charles Lemon was amongst the first people in England to receive and grow rhododendron seed from Sir Joseph Hooker, who had sent seed directly to Carclew House from his Himalayan expedition of 1848–1850.<ref>{{cite book | author= Toby Musgrave, Chris Gardner & Will Musgrave | title=The Plant Hunters| publisher=Seven Dials | year=1999|pages=134 | isbn=1-84188-001-9}}</ref> The Rhododendron arboretum specimen at Carclew, planted c. 1850 by Sir Charles became one of the most famous in Cornwall. By 1928 it was about 35 feet high.

==1934 fire and after==

In 1934 Carclew was destroyed by fire and has been derelict since.<ref name="CL2018">{{cite web |author1=Olivier Vergnault |title=23 derelict buildings in Cornwall at risk of disappearing forever |url=https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/derelict-cornwall-tour-cornwalls-old-1276830 |website=Cornwall Live |access-date=24 July 2021 |language=en |date=5 March 2018}}</ref> It was then owned by Captain Charles H. Tremayne, a descendant of Sir Charles Lemon.<ref>Synge, Patrick (1977) ''The Gardens of Britain; Vol. 1: Devon and Cornwall''. London: B. T. Batsford; p. 92</ref> In the late 1930s though, one wing was ‘made habitable by hard work’ and brought into service as a reception centre for refugees coming from Europe. This was a project of the Society of Friends’ Peace Committee and was run by James T. Baily.<ref> Baily, Leslie (1959) Craftsman and Quaker. London; George Allen & Unwin Ltd; p.134 </ref>

The terraced gardens complete with their water fountains and cascades remain and are privately owned and not open to the public.<ref>Carclew Gardens</ref><ref>''The Times'', Friday, Apr 06, 1934; pg. 12; Issue 46721; col E "Cornish Country House Fire Narrow Escapes By Night, Art Treasures Burnt".</ref> A new house was built by Mr Jack Silley on a new site at the top of the present garden. Mr Silley also developed the present garden on the site of the old mansion garden and his work was continued by Judge and Mrs Chope. One of the notable features of the garden is the large lily pond with swans.<ref>Synge, Patrick (1977) ''The Gardens of Britain; Vol. 1: Devon and Cornwall''. London: B. T. Batsford; p. 91</ref>

It was added to Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register in 2018.<ref name="CL2018" />

== References == ===Notes=== {{reflist}}

===Sources=== *{{cite book | last = Worsley | first = Giles | authorlink = Giles Worsley | year = 2002 | title = England's Lost Houses | publisher = Aurum Press | location = London | isbn = 1-85410-820-4 }} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20070322081129/http://www.marjon.ac.uk/cornish-history/conf2002dodds/index.htm Cornish History] retrieved 24 March 2007 *[https://web.archive.org/web/20070303172146/http://www.york.ac.uk/depts/arch/landscapes/ukpg/sites/carclew.htm Carclew Gardens] retrieved 24 March 2007 *[https://web.archive.org/web/20070301141123/http://www.york.ac.uk/depts/arch/landscapes/ukpg/designer/edwardst.htm Thomas Edwards] retrieved 24 March 2007 *[https://web.archive.org/web/20080723103027/http://lh.matthewbeckett.com/houses/lh_cornwall_carclew_gallery.html Lost Heritage website images of Carclew] retrieved 1 August 2008

==Further reading== {{Portal|Cornwall}} *An article in ''Country Life'' of 14 April 1934 (just before the fire)

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Category:Country houses in Cornwall Category:History of Cornwall Category:Former buildings and structures in Cornwall Category:Palladian Revival architecture in England Category:British country houses destroyed in the 20th century