A Grade II-listed Cornish property that was ‘the first in England’ to obtain a mortgage has gone on the market for £2.75million.
Trewoon Manor was rescued from ruin by its current owners after it had lain derelict for at least a century.
David and Liz McCormick bought the 14th century roofless property in 2004 and spent years restoring it to its former glory.
Trewoon Manor, in the Cornish village of Constantine, is believed to be the first property in England to ever obtain a mortgage thanks to the frivolous lifestyle of its 17th century owners.
A Grade II-listed Cornish property that was ‘the first in England’ to obtain a mortgage has gone on the market for £2.75million
Trewoon Manor was rescued from ruin by its current owners after it had lain derelict for at least a century
David and Liz McCormick bought the 14th century roofless property in 2004 and spent years restoring it to its former glory
Trewoon Manor, in the Cornish village of Constantine, is believed to be the first property in England to ever obtain a mortgage thanks to the frivolous lifestyle of its 17th century owners
The Carnsews blew their money on gambling and needed financial help to buy the house in 1634.
When the McCormicks bought the ruined property 17 years ago they started the mammoth task of clearing rubble and trees from what was left of the house before starting over, stone by stone.
They lived in a caravan on the land with their two children for four years while they carried out the restoration.
The Carnsews blew their money on gambling and needed financial help to buy the house in 1634
When the McCormicks bought the ruined property 17 years ago they started the mammoth task of clearing rubble and trees from what was left of the house before starting over, stone by stone
David, 60, said: ‘If you think of the worst ever ruin, that’s what it was. We basically had a few walls and that was it.
‘We had six months of stripping it out – getting rid of rubble and the trees that had grown in it before we could even start renovating.
‘There were no original plans so we don’t know what it was like originally. We visited a lot of National Trust houses to see how they were done and we used a lot of skilled craftsmen to help us.
‘We were able to save about 80 per cent of what was left, but we had to number every stone, take the wall down, put in proper foundations and then rebuild it.’
They lived in a caravan on the land with their two children for four years while they carried out the restoration
The now impressive home has waxed oak panelling in the reception hall, a 29ft kitchen/breakfast room with bespoke fitted cabinets, mullioned leaded windows and granite fireplaces
The house has 5,300 sq ft of accommodation with a reception hall, dining room, morning room, drawing room, kitchen/breakfast room, snug, library and a bedroom with shower room on the ground floor
On the first floor are two bedroom suites, two further bedrooms, a cinema room and a family bathroom
The property sits in 2.5 acres of land, and includes a one-bedroom annexe, an oak-framed garage/workshop and a stone barn
He added: ‘We also found some documents in the local library that stated in 1634 a mortgage on it was needed ‘due to riotous living’.
‘We think they obtained England’s first mortgage.’
Liz, 56, added: ‘We had no roofs, no floors, no joists, doorways or windows, it was mostly just piles of rubble on mud bases of floors.
‘It took us six months to sell our home in Northern Ireland and move over and we were surprised how much it deteriorated in those six months. The house was basically on its last legs.
‘We were starting from scratch really, but we had good craftsmen.
‘It will be really hard to leave, I don’t think we will live in a house like it again. We just hope the next family will look after the place and it will still be looking great in another 300 years.’
It is on the market with estate agents Lillicrap Chilcott. David, 60, said: ‘If you think of the worst ever ruin, that’s what it was. We basically had a few walls and that was it’
The now impressive home has waxed oak panelling in the reception hall, a 29ft kitchen/breakfast room with bespoke fitted cabinets, mullioned leaded windows and granite fireplaces.
The house has 5,300 sq ft of accommodation with a reception hall, dining room, morning room, drawing room, kitchen/breakfast room, snug, library and a bedroom with shower room on the ground floor.
On the first floor are two bedroom suites, two further bedrooms, a cinema room and a family bathroom.
The property sits in 2.5 acres of land, and includes a one-bedroom annexe, an oak-framed garage/workshop and a stone barn.
It is on the market with estate agents Lillicrap Chilcott.
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