Ince Castle

Ince Castle stands three miles from Saltash on a peninsula beside the River Lynher. It is a brick manor house built in 1642, not a medieval fortress. Four thick-walled towers rise from the corners of the building. A classical portico marks the entrance and rectangular windows line the walls. The house was sold in the 1850s and used as a farm until it fell into disrepair. Ivy covered the walls and an ivy-covered roof was lost in a fire in 1988 before the building was restored. The house has belonged to several notable families over the centuries. The Killigrews remodelled the first house in the 17th century. Tradition claims Henry Killigrew kept four wives, one in each tower. The Pryns farmed the estate for decades in the 19th century. Later owners included a racing yachtsman and an actress. The Viscount and Viscountess Boyd of Merton lived there from 1994 after rebuilding work following the fire. Visitors find a paved courtyard with magnolia trees and two sunken gardens. A cherry walk leads through woodland to a garden of warm colours and grey leaves. A white garden and a contrasting border of shrubs and herbaceous plants flank the house. The gardens are open only occasionally, offering quiet walks beside the river.