Roscarrock House

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

House built around courtyard. Circa late C15 or early C16. Service wing possibly added or remodelled in early C19. Built for Roscarrock family. The house is built around a courtyard with the main ranges facing south east and south west, the service range facing north east and a curtain wall enclosing the fourth side on the north west with a small tower on the west. Wall of ashlar stone notable for fine quality of construcion with battlemented granite parapet. The C19 accounts of Roscarrock include those of C.S. Gilbert who decribed the house in 1817 as "a strong castellated building" of which many of the massive walls were "falling into decay". The chapel which apparently stood to the west of the house was "in great part demolished". Charles Spence's account of 1856 and Trevan's account of 1820 also describe the chapel and decay of other parts of the house. Roscarrock is one of the most important buildings in North Cornwall, comprising an interesting courtyard plan which is largely intact. The quality of the circa late C15 roofs is outstanding and a rare survival.

This site has been described as a 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.

Major remains.

This site is a Grade 1 listed building protected by law*. (Images of England number 351337)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SW98588039

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 number; 431037

Books
- Emery, Anthony, 2006, Greater Medieval Houses Vol3 (Cambridge) p626
  Chesher, V.M. and F.J., 1968, The Cornishman's House p34-6

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