Pencalenick House was designed as a private home – a perfect modernist hideaway on the Fowey estuary in Cornwall. While the owner has comprehensively succeeded in creating the house of his (or anyone’s) dreams, he’s been less successful in dragging himself away from the office, which means you get the opportunity to enjoy the property in the meantime. Yet while Pencalenick House looks and feels like a home, it comes complete with the kind of service that you’d find in the finest hotels. This place should be part of everyone’s work-life balance.
Carved into a wooded hillside in a peaceful spot overlooking Pont Pill creek, the house was designed by architect Seth Stein using local Cornish stone. The use of natural materials gives Pencalenick a richly organic feel and, if you approach from the landward side, the property is almost invisible. In contrast, the seaward side of the house opens up onto spectacular views across the water to the town of Fowey. The rooms are versatile and children are well catered for. It’s even possible to host weddings here, but this is really the perfect setting for the most luxurious of house parties or private escapes with a select group of family or friends.
The interiors are as stylish and contemporary as the house itself, furnished with custom-made elm tables and Jasper Morrison chairs. The central 40-foot reception area is the hub of Pencalenick House and is dominated by the large stone fireplace and enormous double-height windows that bring the outside in, even in winter. The seven bedrooms are arranged over two floors that curve gently along the hillside, giving every room a view over the creek; the floor-to-ceiling windows and the terrace outside the first-floor rooms make them particularly bright and filled with the sea breeze.
Pencalenick may have an irresistibly relaxed atmosphere, where you can happily spend your time browsing the library or playing table football in the games room, but the full-service attention is always impeccable. Deborah the full-time house manager is on hand to ensure that guests have everything they need, so you can enjoy your stay in total seclusion, or spend your time horse riding, sailing or walking along the coastal paths. Fowey’s excellent seafood restaurants struggle to compete with Chris, the house’s expert chef, who prepares all meals using fresh Cornish ingredients (some from Pencalenick’s own organic garden). There’s an excellent wine cellar, too. The barbecue area in the woods next to the house is an ideal place for dinner on a warm summer’s evening.
The garden, with its terrace and lawn, is relatively small but few houses come with their very own private beach. Much of the surrounding woodland and beautiful open farmland is protected by the National Trust so there’s plenty to explore. At low tide you can walk along the shoreline to the charming village of Polruan. Just when you think you already have everything you could possibly need for the perfect escape, you discover that Pencalenick House also comes with a classic 1930s motor yacht. Pip the skipper can take you around the coastline to some of the superb local beaches for the perfect picnic. Enjoy it all now, before the owner takes early retirement.
Reviewed by Jim Whyte
