Truthwall

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Truthall; Tregewell; Tregewel; Triuall; Trithwell; Treyuthall

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

Site of the manor of Truthall, recorded in the Domesday Book. The manor house was granted a licence to crenellate to Ralph de Bloyou in 1335 and a chapel was licensed in 1387. Its site is said to be covered by the debris of West Wheal Fortune mine.

This site has been described as a Fortified Manor House;

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.

Nothing visible remains.

A Royal licence to crenellate was granted;

In 1335 Feb 1, Radulphus de Bloiou (Ralph de Bloyou) was granted, by Edward III, (In year 9 of his reign) a Royal licence to crenellate Tregewel (Truthwall)

The wording of this licence is;

"Licence for Ralph de Bloiou to crenellate his dwelling-places (mansum) of Coleweheys, co. Dorset, and Tregewell, co. Cornwall."

Granted at Roxburgh, by privy seal.

Joint with Coleweheys, Dorset

Original source is

Calendar of Patent Rolls (1334-38) p77

(In fact, the original source given is usually a transcription/translation of what are precious medieval documents not readily availably. It should be noted that these transcription/translations often date to the nineteenth or early twentieth centuries and that unwitting bias of transcribers may affect the translation. Care should also be taken to avoid giving modern meaning to the medieval use of certain stock words and terms.)

Significant later source are;

Emery, Anthony, 2006, Greater Medieval Houses Vol3 (Cambridge) p695
Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p410

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SW528324

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; 425074

Books
- Emery, Anthony, 2006, Greater Medieval Houses Vol3 (Cambridge) p695
  Higham, Robert A., 1999, 'Castles, Fortified Houses and Fortified Towns in the Middle Ages' in Kain, R. and Ravenhill, W., Historical Atlas of South-West England (University of Exeter Press) p136-43
  Salter, Mike, 1999, The Castles of Devon and Cornwall (Malvern) p47 [slight]
  Russell, Vivien, 1971, West Penwith survey p75
  Gover, J.E., 1948, The place names of Cornwall p645
  Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p410
Journal Articles
- Henderson, C., 1957-60, ‘Ecclesiastical History’ Journal of the Royal Institution of Cornwall Vol3 p310-1
Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
- Calendar of Patent Rolls (1334-38) p77
Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
- Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p67

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