2, Mill House

Steeped in History

Most of the Mill House predates 1700, with the thatched roof being the oldest part of this popular Landmark. The other slated roof was an addition from around 1800 and represents the newer section of the building. The layout and architecture of the Mill House are typical of the type of small farmhouses found in remote areas from the Tudor period onwards and this charming Mill House typifies traditional Cornish architecture. It has witnessed a host of different inhabitants and the Tape family, who lived here at the turn of 20th century, were renowned for their musical talents. Around the same time Coombe saw a resurgence in popularity for walkers following its inclusion in many popular guidebooks. Since this period Coombe's popularity has grown, just like that of the rest of Cornwall.

In the heart of North Cornwall

No. 2 is the smaller of the two Landmarks in the Mill House, with a fireplace in its end gable. The Mill House sits within beautiful orchards and a stream runs past the cobbled terrace at the back. Coombe lies within the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Cornwall offers a diverse range of places to see and things to do. There are stunning walks and surfing on the beaches at Duckpool and Sandymouth. The surrounding area is steeped in mystery and local folklore whilst nearby Tintagel Castle is reputedly to be the birthplace of King Arthur.

The Landmark Trust acquired the whole of Coombe as part of a joint scheme with the National Trust in order to preserve the hamlet. Because the whole hamlet is owned by the Landmark Trust, all of the properties are available to rent either individually, or can be rented out together, ideal for larger groups.

See all our Landmarks at Coombe

The first known reference to Coombe is in 1520, but the mile of sheltered valley running inland from Duckpool has been lived in continuously from very early times. A decayed earthwork in Stowe Woods at the head of the valley is an Iron Age fort and the hidden site of the hamlet is typical of ancient habitations in Cornwall. Although the earliest of the existing houses date only from the 17th century, they are likely to stand on older sites. The hamlet stands lies on the southern edge of the parish of Morwenstow. It was until recently divided between two landowners. The land west of the stream belonged from the 1540s until 1922 to the Duchy of Cornwall, as part of the manor of Eastway. The land east of the stream was originally part of the manor of Northleigh, or Lee, which until the Elizabethan period was owned by the Coplestone family, but soon afterwards passed to the Grenvilles of Stowe on the hillside above. It remained part of the Stowe estate until 1949.

Coombe is listed as one of the ‘principal villages’ of the parish of Morwenstow by Daniel Lysons in Magna Britannia Vol. III, published in 1814. This makes it sound quite big and indeed it was once much larger. In the middle of the 19th century there were between 12 and 15 households here, but by 1891 these had shrunk to just three. By the beginning of the 20th century Coombe had become a favourite stopping place for walkers, gaining a mention in most Cornish guidebooks from the 1890s onwards. Official recognition of its landscape came in 1930 when the Council for the Protection of Rural England recommended that the whole Coombe Valley, along with the coastal path, should be preserved as a place of outstanding natural beauty. It was another 30 years before this hope was realised, but in 1960 the National Trust acquired the first of several holdings, on the south side of the valley. Between 1966 and 1969, the hamlet itself was bought by the Landmark Trust, as part of a joint scheme with the National Trust to preserve it and its exceptional setting.

Coombe Mill features in Charles Kingsley’s Westward Ho, whose heroine, Rose of Torridge is sent there to stay with her uncle. There has been a mill at Coombe since at least 1694 and probably long before that, although the present one dates from 1842. Most of Mill House is earlier, the thatched part predating 1700, while the slate roofed part is an addition from around 1800. The plan is typical of small farmhouses in remote areas, from the Tudor period onwards: one room deep, with two ground floor rooms. The main room has a wide fireplace on the backroom (now No. 1) while the inner room has its fireplace on the end gable (now in No. 2).

 To read the full history album for 2, Mill House click here.

To download the children's Explorer pack for 2, Mill House please click here.

Mill House

The first building in Coombe to be tackled was The Mill House.  This had already been divided into two, the main house and an annexe at the north end which had one bedroom at the back.  It was decided to keep this arrangement, but to give No 2 two bedrooms and a better sitting room.  Outside, the back of the house had become rather a muddle of lean-to and conservatory.  This was remodelled and the wall raised to give the west bedroom in No 2 its glimpse of Duckpool.  The front was freshly limewashed, and windows and doors repaired.  The thatched roof was recoated, and has had minor repairs to ridges and gutters since.

Inside, new kitchens and bathrooms were fitted, but otherwise the rooms were left as much as possible as they were.  In No 2, the former sitting room, with the stair leading out of it, became the hall, with a new front door in the east wall, in part of an extra long window.  To light the new sitting room, a window was made in the north wall, with a new fireplace backing onto the old end stack.  In the kitchen, a door in the north end, where the sink now is, was turned into a window.  

The Mill House was furnished and ready for letting in 1968.  In 1990, after more than twenty years of hard use, both No 1 and No 2 were given better bathrooms, and their kitchens renewed.