Carminow

Description

Salter writes 'No remains of moated medieval house which finally vanished in C19.'

In the parish of Mawgan, were formerly seated two of the greatest families in Cornwall, Carminow and Reskymer. Carminow, the seat of the former, a name which signifies the little city, was pleasantly situated on a rising ground, bordering on an eastern branch of the Loe Pool; which branch is thence called Carminow creek. The ancient and eminent family to whom this place gave an habitation, if not a name, pretended to be derived in a male line from king Arthur. It is said, that one of this family was employed as an ambassador from Edward the Confessor to William the Conqueror, then Duke of Normandy; on which account it is probable that he secured his family inheritance, when this country was subdued. The manor of Carminow remained in this ancient family until the reign of Richard II. when Jane, daughter and co-heiress of Sir Thomas Carminow, Lord Chamberlain to that king, carried it in marriage with other lands to Sir John Arundell of Lauherne, in which family it remained until 1801; when it was purchased by John Rogers, Esq. the present proprietor. From the time that the Arundells became possessed of this property, the old Carminow mansion was neglected, and finally suffered to fall into decay. It has long since wholly disappeared, and a farm house at present occupies its site. (Hitchins)

The buildings of the Medieval mansion at Carminow enclosed a court 40ft square (Rogers) and were surrounded by a moat. Due to their irreparable condition they were demolished in 1861 and a new homestead and outbuildings erected on the site - the present farmyard corresponding with the former court. Only the N arm of the moat remains. The whole farmyard and buildings are strewn with well carved stonework of C14, C15 and C16 (Henderson). None of the Medieval buildings or arms of the moat survive, although incorporated in all the present buildings there are pieces of Medieval window tracery, door lintels and worked stone. No information on the chapel; the burial ground was probably in the elevated field centred SW66502394, although nothing has been found here. If, as Rogers states, the farmyard is on the site of the court then the mansion was centred at SW66482399 and the chapel site was at approximately SW66482396 - according to the Rogers plan. This is confirmed by the Tithe Map where the plan of the medieval house can be related to the present buildings (Field Investigators Comments F1 MJF 07-JUL-72). (PastScape)