Arwenack Manor

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Arwennack

In the civil parish of Falmouth.
In the historic county of Cornwall (Modern Authority of Cornwall, 1974 county of Cornwall).

Great house built in 1385 and mostly rebuilt in 1571 by Sir John Killigrew, the first Governor of Pendennis Castle, in 1646 the house was partly destroyed by fire during the siege of Pendennis Castle, though it was rebuilt after the war. The house was extended after 1786, it was neglected during the 1970s and suffered a fire at the manor end, the building was repaired in 1978 and has since been converted into flats and a house. Built of Killas rubble with granite dressings and scantle slate roofs. The building was originally E-shaped in plan with a wing to the far left. There are some "small rectangular double-splayed gunports, probably dating to the late C16" (Kenyon 1981)

This site has been described as Fortified Manor House

A high status fortified residence not capable of withstanding an army but able to resist an armed band. They are generally moated and have a gatehouse with loops and crenellations. They tend to be sited with much less consideration for tactical and strategic defence and with domestic considerations, such as ease of access, to the fore. The difference between a small castles and a fortified manor house is a subjective one and may well be an artificial division in that for contemporary medieval citizens it may not have existed. David King did not use this term and preferred the term Strong House, since not all fortified high status houses were manorial, but use of his term Strong House has not been widely adopted possible because it is widely used as a synonym for bastle. Such buildings did not require a licence to crenellate and having a licence to crenellate does not mean a building was certainly fortified. However, I have recorded all buildings issued a licence to crenellate under this group since they clearly were at least intended to be [re]constructed in a fortified style.

The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Possible.

Masonry ruins/remnants remains.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

This site is a Grade 2* listed building protected by law*.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SW81213232

Modern Map from

Good for landscape form and features

Modern Map from

Good for general location

Air Photo from

1st edition OS Map from

Sources of information, references and further reading

PastScape
Journal Articles

Kenyon, J.R., 1981 'Early Artillery Fortifications in England and Wales: a Preliminary Survey and Re-appraisal' Archaeological Journal Vol138 p233

Jeffery, H.M., Journal of the Royal Institution of Cornwall p161-4 Plan

Guidebooks
- Toyne D., 1978, Arwenack, an historical guide resulting from study of repair

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The comprehensive gazetteer of the medieval fortifications and castles of Cornwall

With thanks to Philip Davis

Arwenack Manor

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SW81213232

Sources of information, references and further reading

PastScape

Journal Articles