Lostwithiel Town Council - Heritage - Taprell House

The origins of Taprell House are uncertain but it would appear to date back to the mid 16th Century (1550) or the early 17th Century.

The Lostwithiel branch of the Taprell family died out by the mid 18th Century and Taprell House was acquired by the Edgcumbe family of Mount Edgcumbe near Plymouth. After extensive alterations, the building became known as Edgcumbe House in 1742.

By the end of the 19th Century the front of the building had become a shop and the rear gradually fell into disrepair. The council bought the building in 1934. Major restoration work began in 1991 and Taprell House now houses a branch of the County Library, an exhibition gallery and Lostwithiel Methodist Church.

Taprell House contains probably the best example of a late Tudor or early Elizabethan domestic fireplace in Cornwall. The former spiral stairwell can be seen in the centre of the rear wall. At the southern end in the kitchen area is a smaller late Tudor fireplace with relieving arch and two stone cupboards used for watering and curing bacon. The three-holed granite slab opposite is believed to have been a cooker fired with charcoal.

On the first floor you can still see the marks on the wall where cross beams held up the panelling which was once here. This panelling could well have been moved to the Guildhall. To the right by the window you can see where there was once a doorway which led to the room over the gatehouse. If you look at the ceiling where many of the original joists are, you can see the ancient carpenter's joint markings.

The text above contains extracts from a leaflet entitled "A brief history of Taprell House and the Taprells of Lostwithiel "
by Sally Whiffing, Curator, Lostwithiel Museum. February 1996.

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September 2008