Pencubitt House

Pencubitt House

History of Pencubitt House

Pencubitt House was built in 1897 for John. H. Blamey, a wealthy wool & agricultural merchant based in Liskeard. The Blamey family were well known Cornish merchants who owned land in St Blazey and Liskeard and leased lands in St Germans. J. H. Blamey had the house built on a hill to provide sweeping views over Liskeard, the Moorswater Viaduct and the Looe Valley.

The house was designed by Liskeard architect John Sansom, who with fellow architect Henry Rice, designed most of the large houses and churches in Liskeard.

The house was named ‘Pencubitt’. Pen, which is Cornish for Hill and Cubitt, which was his wife’s family name. Down the lane at the bottom of the hill is Lamellion Hamlet where you can still see remnants of Blamey’s wool mill, now called Devon & Cornwall Wools Mill.

The house has changed little from its original form, but the grounds, which once covered many acres, are now reduced to only two. One feature of the house that has changed is the castellated tower (this can be seen on the original plans of the house displayed on the wall in the bar) which once stood proud above the house with wonderful battlements and large flag. The top floor of the tower seemed to have weathered badly and was removed between 1980 and 1990.

The Blamey family were in residence at Pencubitt until the house was taken over during the Second World War to house some 40 Land Army Girls. In the photo above The Land Army Girls can be seen on the lawn and a fire escape is in place from Room 9. The top room of the tower can be seen with the original castellations on top.

In 1950 Pencubitt House was sold and later became a hotel with a swimming pool, hairdressing salon and beauty parlour. Subsequently the hotel was renamed The Country Castle Hotel and operated as such until 1996 when it became The Pencubitt Country House Hotel. The swimming pool was filled in about 1999 but its outline can still be seen beneath the main lawn.