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Summary

Pengersick is first mentioned in 1197 and a chapel is recorded there in the C14 in association with a mansion.

Protected Status

• Conservation Area: PENGERSICK
• Listed Building (I) 65781: PENGERSICK CASTLE
• Scheduled Monument 36039: Pengersick Castle and associated building platform

Other References/Statuses

• Primary Record No. (1985-2009): 29223.10

Monument Type(s):

• CHAPEL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• FORTIFIED MANOR HOUSE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD) + Sci.Date
• COUNTRY HOUSE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Full description

Pengersick is first mentioned in 1197 and a chapel is recorded there in the C14 in association with a mansion.

The surviving structures mostly relate to a fortified house built in 1510 by either Thomas Worth or one of the Milliton family. A letter 'W' worked into the moulding around a window in the tower suggests the former. The house was probably built as a response to pirate raids on the south coast. It originally consisted of a complex of buildings ranged around two courtyards.

It was recorded in the 1890s, using a description written over 100 years before, that the lower rooms had carved and painted oak panels. The one in best condition represented 'Perseverance' under which was the following lines:
'What thing is harder than the rock?
What softer is than water cleere?
Yet wyll the same, with often droppe,
The hard rock perce as doth a spere.
Even so, nothing so hard to attayne,
But may be haddle, with labour and payne.'. A site visit in the 1910s confirmed that by this time this panelling had been destroyed (16).

The major tower (equivalent to a keep of a castle) survives intact but is now converted into a dwelling. This originally had an attached hall on the north side and there was a courtyard on the east side which consisted of stables and ancilliary structures. To the west of the tower was another courtyard which was probably domestic, consisting of kitchens stores, servants accomodation etc. This rear yard is now a farmyard. A fine granite moulding from the two storey porch attached to the hall is now the principal entrance to a farmhouse.

The Milliton family occupied Pengersick for a few generations. Upon the death of William Milliton, who had no surviving sons, the property was divided between six daughters. With this complexity of ownership, the house fell into disuse. During the C18 and C19 the surviving structures were extensively robbed to provide the materials for the farm buildings which now cover the site. Of the fortified house only the three-storey tower survives. This was converted to a house in the early C20. A two-storey fortified building to the west was converted to a granary and became incoporated into the C19 farm complex. The whole site including the farm complex is a Scheduled Monument and the buildings are Listed, the tower being Grade I.

Nance, RM, 1953, The Pengersick Panels (Article in Serial). SCO28689.

Bridge, M, 2012, Pengersick Castle, Pengersick Lane, Praa Sands, Penzance, Cornwall - Tree-Ring Dating of Oak Timbers (Bibliographic reference). SCO25368.

Thomas, N, 2013, Pengersick Castle, Praa Sands, Cornwall: Archaeological watching briefs and historic building recording 2011-12 (Cornwall Event Report). SCO26021.

<1> Borlase, W, 1740, Parochial Memoranda, 33 (Unpublished document). SCO2884.

<2> Lysons, D & S, 1814, Magna Britannia, VOL III, CORNWALL, 42 (Bibliographic reference). SCO3885.

<3> Gilbert, CS, 1820, An Historical and Topographical Survey of the County of Cornwall, VOL II, 759 (Bibliographic reference). SCO3360.

<4> Hitchins, F & Drew, S (Eds), 1824, The History of Cornwall, VOL II (Bibliographic reference). SCO3595.

<5> Penaluna, W, 1838, An Historical Survey of the County of Cornwall, I, 81-82 (Bibliographic reference). SCO4104.

<6> Polsue, J (Editor), 1867-72, Lake's Parochial History of Cornwall, VOL 1, 136 (Bibliographic reference). SCO4139.

<7> UNKNOWN, 1909, UNKNOWN TITLE, VOL XVII, 208-209 (Unedited Source). SCO6976.

<8> Coulthard, HR, 1913, The Story of an Ancient Parish: Breage with Germoe, 127-128 (Bibliographic reference). SCO3181.

<9> Oman, C, 1926, Castles, 123 (Bibliographic reference). SCO4041.

<10> Pounds, N, 1937, The Medieval Castle in Cornwall, NO 104, 31-32 (Article in Serial). SCO4152.

<11> Henderson, C, 1955-60, Ecclesiastical Antiquities of the 109 parishes of West Cornwall & Ecclesiastical History of the 4 Western Hundreds, (NS) 36 (Article in Journal). SCO3499.

<12> Leland, 1967, Early Tours in Devon and Cornwall, 29 (Bibliographic reference). SCO3860.

<13> EVANS, A, 1970, PENGERSICK CASTLE (PRIVATELY PRODUCED SHORT HIST) (Unedited Source). SCO8059.

<14> UNKNOWN, 1973, PROGRAMME OF SUMMER MEETING AT TRURO (Unedited Source). SCO8212.

<15> SOC FOR MED ARCHAEOL, 1986, CONFERENCE PROGRAMME (TRURO), 13 (Unedited Source). SCO8851.

<16> Johns, C, 2000, Pengersick Castle, Breage, Cornwall - Archaeological Recording Feb - May 2001 (Cornwall Event Report). SCO1223.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• ECO3743 - Pengersick Castle, Pengersick Lane, Praa Sands - Tree-ring dating (Ref: Research Report Series No 38-2012)
• ECO633 - Pengersick Castle
• ECO4125 - Pengersick Castle archaeological works 2011-12 (Ref: 2011034)
• ECO4167 - Pengersick Historic & Education Trust; Research Report Prepared for the Trustees
• ECO5993 - SMT 2125 Castle Gate, Pengersick Lane, Praa Sands, Penzance, Cornwall TR20 9SJ

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Associated Images

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