Prideaux Place
On a hill above the Cornish fishing village of Padstow lies Prideaux Place, a country home with period interiors reflecting a microcosm of Cornish history throughout the past five centuries, and all set in a landscape of gardens and woodlands overlooking a deer park and the estuary of the River Camel.
Originally built in 1592, the house is owned by the eponymous Prideaux family, who have traditionally trodden a fine line with the royal powers that be, but continued to maintain their links with their Norman-French lineage. The house is a mix of Elizabethan, Georgian and Regency styles with boldly-coloured interior decoration, and it comes as no surprise that it has become a favourite set for period dramas by many a movie-maker.
Highlights include the Great Hall, of classic design, with screen panelled in oak, the Great Chamber with its once-hidden carved Jacobean ceiling depicting biblical tales, and the Morning Room which features a family portrait that bore testament to a legendary romance between sitter and artist. Nearby, the village of Padstow has recently become world famous thanks to the patronage of renowned chef and seafood guru Rick Stein, and is well worth investigating for its many fine eateries.