Caerhays Castle

Caerhays Castle stands on a cliff above Porthluney Cove in Cornwall. The house began as a manor in the Early Middle Ages and passed through families until the Trevanions rebuilt it between 1807 and 1810. John Nash, the Anglo-Welsh architect, designed the present castle in a semi-castellated style. The entrance terrace runs for 160 feet and faces south across the garden. Inside, painted glass lights the dining room, staircase and hall. Parts of the original manor remain, including an ancient chapel and the Watchhouse Walk to the sea. The garden covers nearly 120 acres and holds 600 plant varieties. It is best known for its magnolias, which are recognised by Plant Heritage. Over 250 kinds of rhododendron grew here by 1917. Azaleas, camellias and many trees fill the named routes and winding grassy paths. The Williams family added seeds from China brought back by Ernest Henry Wilson in 1903. A mineral collection, partly from Cornish mines, is also kept in the house. The castle appears in films and novels. It provided the outside shots for the 1979 miniseries Rebecca. Scenes for Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children were filmed here and on the cove in 2015. The Poldark novels describe the castle’s grandeur and the heavy cost that ruined the Trevanions. Grade I listed buildings surround the site, including lodges, gateways and a folly tower.