Although we are not officially open to the public, you are most welcome to come and enjoy the rural beauty and historical architecture, all visible from the public footpaths and bridleways. There are several routes which lead across and around the Estate (see here).
The surrounding flora and fauna could very well get tails wagging so please kindly ensure dogs are kept on leads at all times, gates are left closed and you kindly stick to the signposted route(s).
As current custodians, we have two key roles to perform: to preserve the past and to prepare and plan for the future. We also recognise the importance of embracing and adapting to a constantly changing world of ‘unknown unknowns’.
Our strategic planning is guided by four central pillars:
Heritage: to preserve story of Penheale and its rich historical legacy.
Conservation: ensure the land, ecology and buildings are maintained to high standards and improved for posterity.
Community: to work with, engage and add value to stakeholders and local community.
Tomorrow: by working with nature to improve our natural capital, we aim to make a significant contribution to a greener, more sustainable future.
Like all environmentally conscious citizens, we are acutely aware of the climate emergency and the urgent need to “think globally and act locally”. With the resources we have available, we advocate a multi-pronged, pro-active approach to ensure we leave the world better placed whilst building upon and preserving the unique legacy created by previous generations and custodians of Penheale.
Actions speak louder than words. By executing the major projects (below), we aim to dramatically accelerate the Estate’s biodiversity net gain, improving its natural capital, to expedite profound positive change for future generations, both locally and beyond.
Planned environmentally-focused projects:
- Plant a riparian buffer strip adjacent to the River Ottery (click here)
- Work in cooperation with our colony of resident beavers (click here)
- Introduce specimen trees to existing hedgerows (click here)
Penheale’s inclusion in the 1085 Domesday Book provides a valuable starting point for the estate’s thousand-year history. The book confirms there was an established settlement at Penheale in 1066, with a 3600 acre landholding of ‘ploughland,’ implying it is highly likely Penheale pre-dates the Norman Conquest.
However, as pre-Norman Conquest records are historically hazy, we felt it logical and fair to conservatively assume the Penheale’s symbolic birth to be the earliest year documented the longest-surviving historical record – 1066 (see here).
Penheale is a traditional rural estate and property business nested within 2000 acres of prime Cornish countryside. Given our location, it will perhaps come as little surprise that our long-established commercial mainstay consists almost entirely of farming and residential lets.
Farming: The Estate’s acreage is largely split between three tenanted, organic and low-impact dairy farms: Hole, Trillacott and Slyddon Farm.
Residential: Our rental properties are clustered around three key locations: the core Estate, Hole Barton, Egloskerry and Coombekeale, North Petherwin. Each property is characteristically unique– from Edwin Lutyens-designed cottages to rustic, centuries-old farmhouses, the Estate has housing stock for a wide range of budgets and tastes (providing you enjoy rural life!) Click here for vacancies
The gardens are private, although they do periodically open in support of various local and national charities on selected days throughout the year. Garden opening dates are listed here and advertised locally.
Private group booking proposals (minimum 15 people) are welcome and are subject to availability. Please email (here) to propose a time and a date.
Opportunities for volunteering are available for those keen to learn a new craft, meet new people and playing an active part in ensuring this Area of Great Landscape Value continues to thrive.
Whether you seek gardening for therapy, have a strong interest in nature or simply want a guaranteed way to complete 10,000+ steps a day, supervised activities take place in the formal gardens, surrounding parkland and the wider Estate.
Please contact us directly or sign-up to our newsletter to ensure you are kept up to date with future opportunities.
Colonel Norman Colville acquired Penheale from the Vowler family in 1920. With origins in Scottish steel and whisky production, Colonel Colville was advised to move to the more benign Cornish climate due to the catastrophic injuries suffered in WW1.
It has since remained privately owned and run by three successive generations of the Colville family, who celebrated their centenary year at Penheale in 2020.
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