Pencubitt House

Pencubitt House was built in 1897 for John Hitchens Blamey, a wealthy wool merchant who lived in Liskeard. The house was designed by local architect John Sansom.
The Blamey family were well known Cornish wool merchants who owned land around St Blazey and leased lands around St Germans. Down in Lamellion Hamlet you can still see the remains of Blamey's wool mill, now with new buildings beside the old, and called Devon & Cornwall Wools.
J. H. Blamey had the house built on a hill to provide sweeping views over Liskeard, the Moorswater Viaduct and the Looe Valley. He named the house and grounds 'Pencubitt' Pen, which is Cornish for Head or Hill and Cubitt, which was his wife's family name. The house has changed little from its original form, but the grounds, which once covered many acres, are now reduced to only two.
One feature of the house that has changed is the castellated tower which once stood proud above the house with wonderful battlements and large flag. The top floor of the tower seems to have weathered badly and was removed between 1980 and 1990.
The family were in residence at Pencubitt from 1898 until J. H. Blamey died on 21st November 1923. Members of the family remained in occupation until the house was taken over by the Land Army in 1940. At one stage 40 women were living at Pencubitt working on Cornish farms in the vicinity.
When the Land Army returned Pencubitt House to the Blamey family in 1950, it was unoccupied for a time and subsequently used as a store until 1959 when it was sold and became a hotel called The New Pencubitt Hotel. Later adding a swimming pool, hairdressing salon and beauty parlour. Subsequently, around 1978 the hotel was renamed The Country Castle Hotel and operated as such until 1996 when it became The Pencubitt Country House Hotel. The swimming pool was filled in about 1999 but its outline can still be seen beneath the main lawn.

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