CAPE CORNWALL

The property was built by Francis Oats at the turn of the 20th century; a local mining captain by the age of 20 and later Chairman of De Beers and close ally of Cecil Rhodes in South Africa. Francis was brought up in St Just and Cape Cornwall; later held a significant shareholding in Levant, Cape Cornwall and Kenidjack mines but made his real fortune in the gold fields and diamond mines of South Africa at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Francis championed the welfare of the Cornish miners who followed him in their droves to South Africa. He ensured De Beers paid for a home visit for each ex-pat miner every year and pushed through the introduction of water hydrants to suppress the silicon dust produced by the heavy mining drills which was the main cause of miners’ lung or Silicosis. Francis bought the Cape and built Porthledden from the rewards he received from his company directorships and leading role in South African mining.

Porthledden was completed in 1909 and Captain Francis Oats died in the care of his daughter in Port Elizabeth, South Africa in 1918. Since Francis Oats built Porthledden as a gentleman’s
residence, the house has been a hotel in the 1920s and 1930s – with a pioneering landing strip where part of the Golf Club now lies. It has also been a gentleman’s club, a hotel in the 20’s and 30’s an evacuee school for girls during WW2 and a wedding venue. It lay empty for over twenty years until 2003 when a Grade II listing, lobbied for by many people in St Just and Cape Cornwall, helped to provoke its sale and the subsequent extensive restoration program.

RESTORATION- This painstaking and meticulous restoration of Porthledden began in 2004 after the previous owner’s purchase of the house and has continued under the current ownership. The then 21 bedroom mansion was stripped back to its granite shell with the roof, all 200 windows, lintels and internal surfaces removed. It was then put back together by local Cornish and South West craftsmen, retaining many of the original features but with a few modifications which left the house with ten larger bedrooms, more bathrooms and other larger room spaces such as the strikingly spacious kitchen/dining area. Taking careful account of the stunning coastal location, and under the direction of the architectural team who look after the Duchy properties in West Cornwall, the restoration was professionally approached as a marine project. For example, the only new metals permitted in the reconstruction were non-ferrous such as bronze for the window casements and door furniture and marine grade stainless steel for all fixings. All of the new granite used for flooring, walls and the terraces is from the same source as the original stone; Cornish silver grey granite from De Lank quarry in Bodmin Moor. Francis Oats sourced the distinctive roofing slate from Cumbria. Much of Porthledden’s slate had to be replaced but very fortunately the property’s blue-green Westmoreland slate is still quarried today in the Lake District. More recently 30kW of Solar panels have been installed in the grounds along with 30kW battery storage along with a highly efficient Biomass heating system to work alongside the geothermal system.

MAIN HOUSE- The main house is entered through an inner and outer entrance hall into a magnificent 24ft square reception hall panelled in English oak with a central staircase to the first floor, and door to the west-facing terrace. From this impressive hall, there are three main reception rooms, including the Elizabethan drawing room with its ornate plaster work ceiling, and a fabulous 38ft family kitchen. The reception rooms have open fireplaces and sea views taking in the Brisons rocks. The kitchen was designed by Christian Paul and handmade in quarter sawn oak by Rozen, and includes an electric four-oven AGA with worktops in granite. There is a rear lobby/boot room and WC off the kitchen which in turn opens into the inner courtyard. Also off the kitchen is a large conservatory and gym area.

On the first floor, a huge landing enjoys wonderful views through the oriel window down over the Cape, the Isles of Scilly on a fine day and out to sea. There are two large west-facing bedrooms with one having an en suite bathroom There are three further bedrooms all beautifully appointed with great taste and style and two large bathrooms both with original refurbished cast iron claw foot baths and separate showers. There is a useful laundry room on this level along with access to the guest annexe. There are five further bedrooms on the second floor three of which have en suite luxury bathrooms along with a further family bathroom which has an original refurbished cast iron claw foot bath positioned to enjoy the views out over the Golf club to open countryside. Also off the central landing is a door out on to the flagstaff balcony with marine stainless steel flagpole. Also installed by the current owner is a further door on to a balcony with a fire escape descending down to the inner courtyard.

GUEST APARTMENT- Accessed separately from the internal courtyard but also with a link in to the main house, the three bedroom apartment over two floors is a spacious and very well appointed residence in its own right. A large kitchen again by Christian Paul and Rozen has an open vaulted ceiling with exposed A-frames, an AGA Rangemaster, black granite worktops and island unit. A well planned utility room separates the kitchen-dining room from the twin aspect sitting room which has a recently installed wood burner and enjoys wonderful views of the Cape, out to sea and also over the walled garden. There are two bedrooms and a newly refurbished bathroom on the ground floor. An oak, steel and glass staircase ascends to the first floor and the principal suite, with magnificent views and its own luxury bathroom with separate shower.

GARDENS AND EXTERIOR- A wide gated gravelled driveway approaches the house from the road. A broad terrace spans the width of the house on the west elevation and leads to the large, sheltered walled garden to the north. In the far corner is a kitchen garden with four large raised beds, and a newly built greenhouse. The garden is laid mainly to lawn with side and central gravel pathways and a children’s play area including a clever sunken trampoline. On the west wall an archway has been created leading out into the west paddock, which rolls down towards the Cape and sea.

LAND & OUTBUILDINGS- As if the magnificent house and sea views weren’t enough, almost unheard of for a seaside house in the west country of England, Porthledden has superb equestrian facilities. A stable block houses two loose boxes and a tack room along with three paddocks. Additionally there is a deep triple width garage with three large hardwood sliding doors to the front. The stable and garage block is built to the same exacting standard as the house using the same materials and could easily be adapted for an alternative purpose. Behind the garage is the Solar panel area. In all, the land including gardens, lawns and three paddocks, extends to 7.2 acres.

SERVICES

– Mains water, electricity and drainage.
– Geo-thermal ground source heat pump in conjunction with a Bio Mass Boiler
– 30kW of Solar panels and 30kW Battery storage
– Zone controlled under floor heating in the majority of rooms supplemented by restored floor-standing period radiators fitted with superb British brass valves.
– Central sound and multi-media system (Sonos system) in all reception rooms and bedrooms with hard wired Cat 5 internet cabling, in-ceiling speakers, Wi-fi and Bluetooth compatibility.
– There is extensive LED spot-lighting throughout the property
– Recently updated Fire Alarm system