Quick Find
Tucked away in Cornwall lies Trenoweth House, a gothic style Victorian former vicarage set in four acres of beautiful grounds. It has a relaxed modern country feel, styled with tasteful accents of colour and packed with character-filled original features.
It’s a relatively new addition to the Light Location roster, having only been added in 2024, we hope its unique look will make it a popular option this year. We found out a little more about this property’s historic roots and explored what gives it so much shooting potential.
The house was originally built in 1844 for the Vicar of Crowan Church, the Reverend John White Johns who was a member of the local landowning family who lived nearby at Clowance House. It was designed by Cornish architect JP St. Aubyn in a gothic style, and used local granite as one of its key materials. It served as a vicarage for many years until the 1960’s, when it housed an egg packing plant before becoming a family home again in the 1980’s.The property’s period features are best seen in the large great hall, which still contains the original cobbled floors, stone walls and vaulted ceilings. Outside, the grounds include a lake, walled kitchen garden, herb garden and lawns as well as three cottages on site.
Amanda Back of Designers Guild shared with us the story of how she found Trenoweth House, and how it was transformed into her family’s dream home. She said:
“When we first found the house in 2016, it had fallen into a state of disrepair. Although structurally sound, the house was in desperate need of attention and the gardens were severely overgrown and covered in bramble and nettles. We weren’t successful in our bid to buy the house then – we were so disappointed and despite our best efforts to find substitutes, nothing we saw ever came close.”
“A great friend of ours, Mark Homewood, had also always kept an eye out for us and had visited the house with us on our first visit. It was Mark who excitedly texted us both one January day in 2019 to say that it was back on the market. It felt serendipitous to say the least and in August of the same year, it finally became our home.”
“By then, the eminent architect Amin Taha had completed many renovations and created spaces that fused the house’s early Victorian aesthetic with a more contemporary vision. Keeping the palette natural with wood, stone and glass, the new additions meld seamlessly with the old and the result is a space that is as much a home for a family of four as it is perfect for celebrations and gatherings of much more.”
“I like to think Trenoweth as a serene, peaceful character. I am always asked if I get scared, especially when I am home alone in a storm. I suppose the house’s more austere Gothic front elevation can seem a little creepy to some people. The answer is an emphatic no! On the contrary , I always feel like the house is a warm and loving retreat. It’s a gentle and nurturing space that we are very happy to call home.”
The house is completely unique from top to bottom, lovingly decorated and styled to suit its relaxed and slightly rugged Cornish roots. Vintage pieces and contemporary touches work together in perfect harmony, each room bursting with personality and flair. The entrance hallway is particularly stunning, with terracotta tiles below, original beams above and pops of greens and yellows that make it both bright and welcoming.With two living rooms, the entrance hall, great hall and six bedrooms, it’s a sprawling footprint. There are so many spaces to photograph for interiors and fashion productions alike, with light pouring in through large arched windows and sumptuous texture all around. Even its remote location poses no problem, as Trenoweth is available as a shootand stay option for crews to really settle in and capture its rustic charm.
We can’t wait to see what stunning imagery is created here this year. For more information on Trenoweth House, visit the location page here or contact us to enquire about booking your next shoot.
We did a recent Q&A with Location Owner Emily Taberner about The Rectory, a stunning Grade 2 listed property that was built in 1750 in Lincolnshire.
Take a look at our Location Spotlight on Upton House, another gorgeous property that blends original features with a touch of modern colour to make a strikingly popular photoshoot location.
In our post on The Rise of the Country Location, we explore why these grand homes have begun to overtake classic London properties in their popularity over the seasons.
As always, you can search our entire location collection by keyword or property features on the Find a Location page.
