Why one of Cornwall's oldest and most definitely haunted houses burned to the ground — 30 years after it was photographed for Country Life

Treworgey Manor, situated in the mystical parish of St Cleer, south of the famously harsh Bodmin Moor, was built from granite hewn from the surrounding foreboding hills and had existed in its wild surrounds since the reign of Henry VIII. Neighbours included Bronze Age burial kists, striking rock formations (such as Cheesewring) and menhirs (ancient standing stones).

The manor house, whose name means 'farmstead by the hill' in Cornish, was a modest one, erected for a successful Wiltshire tanner called Cannock or Connock (spellings vary). It remained in the same family well into the 20th century.

It was rumoured that, inside, there was a secret staircase, concealed by a floor-to-ceiling mirror. This, so the story went, led to a passage containing the coffin of a former owner, buried with his treasure. Another member of the family was said to have been starved to death while incarcerated in a dungeon in the outer courtyard. His crime? Refusing to denounce his Roman Catholic faith.

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Yew trees flanked the eerie house — a plant long associated with three forms of defence. One) poison: ingestion can prove fatal to a myriad creatures including humans and horses. Shakespeare had Macbeth concoct a deadly brew containing 'slips of yew'. Two) bows: the archers at Agincourt and Crécy, and, later, Robin Hood were said to favour the strong wood for their weapons. Three) symbolic protection: yew has long symbolised guardianship, immortality, and resurrection, with a deep-rooted history of protecting both homes and churchyards. What-is-more, yew trees continue to grow and spread even when their heart has died.

When Country Life’s then chief photographer, Charles Latham, visited in 1904, with his giant wooden glass plate camera, he photographed a magical scene: Treworgey Manor nestled in its woodland dell and flanked by four giant yew trees standing sentry, alongside two Roman soldier statues, at the south-west-facing entrance.

Architectural Editor H. Avary Tipping described the trees as 'surely among the most curious in England… the topiary sculptor has gone to work in the spirit of much originality.’ Unusually lost for words, he called on readers to study Latham’s artistry and observe the ‘huge billowy creations’ for themselves.

Tipping had very little to say about the house itself, except an 'excellent staircase' (his pleasure was tempered by the fact that the the oak balustrades were 'wearing a coat of paint') and a curious clock tower — the face of which has the words 'Every Hour Shortens Life' written on it.

A thorough redecoration of the very old property, estimated to cost about £18,000 in today's money, was done in early 1938. However, on May 5, while a strong north-east wind swept the country, a fire broke out.

Owner Billy Marshall hurried his family out of the house (in their 'night attire' according to a local newspaper report) as the Liskeard Brigade prepared to bravely battle the flames. Unfortunately, they were woefully ill-equipped.

Fed by the wind and fresh paint, the fire tore through the house — one of Cornwall's oldest — in under two hours. Only a handful of outhouses, the clock towers and yew trees survived.

Little time was wasted with plans for a new, smaller property submitted by and approved in October of the same year. That house, along with the outhouses, the clocktower and the four yew trees (their protective qualities somewhat up for discussion) still stand today.

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