Darloe House, Fore St, West Looe 

The fine details 

Welcome to Darloe House

This stunning, detached Grade II listed Georgian villa is situated in the heart of the historical fishing town of Looe in south-east Cornwall. Darloe House oozes a wealth of charm and character with a contemporary twist and is featured in the Looe Town Plan as a building of historical significance. It was built in about 1800 for Lieutenant Parkins Prynne, a local naval officer, who fought at the battle of the Nile and who was the First Lieutenant on HMS Achille during the battle of Trafalgar in 1805. This prestigious property is known locally as ‘The Captain’s House’.

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Property Overview

Set in the traditional Georgian layout, the property boasts a grand entrance hallway with the original sweeping staircase and a beautiful arched window allowing light into this welcoming area. Original doors on the ground floor lead off to the music room, drawing room and dining room. There is a beautiful newly-fitted kitchen / breakfast room with a wooden staircase leading up to a study. There is a downstairs cloakroom leading to a WC and shower, together with a separate utility room with access into the attached workshop.

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Entrance Hallway

Original door gives access into the property with solid mahogany and partial tiled flooring. Staircase leading up to the first-floor accommodation and doors off to the following rooms:

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Music Room

Wooden window to the front elevation with original shutters allowing plenty of natural light. Original feature fireplace with marble surround with mantle and slate hearth. On either side of the fireplace are original arched alcoves with shelving. Solid oak floor, original dado rail and radiator.

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Drawing Room

Wooden window to the front elevation with original shutters gives views out across the rooftops of West Looe Square. Original open fireplace with marble surround with mantle and slate hearth, and original arched alcoves on either side with shelving. Painted wooden floor, original dado rail and radiator.

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Dining Room

Original feature fireplace with wood surround with mantle and slate hearth. Solid mahogany floor, radiator. Wood step up to a slate area of floor with granite step turning right into the breakfast room and side door leading out to the rear courtyard. Patio door gives access out to the kitchen garden area, wooden sash window also to the side elevation.

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Breakfast Room

This generous breakfast area is part of the Victorian extension completed in about 1860. It offers a range of base and wall mounted units including closed and glass fronted cupboards; the area incorporates a breakfast bar where the flowing worktop allows space for appliances including a wine cooler and additional freezer. There are beams to the ceiling. The exposed stone wall – the outer wall of the original Georgian house – gives this room real character. Fully tiled floor. Radiator. Opening to Kitchen. Wooden steps up to the study.

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Kitchen

The tiled floor continues into the newly-fitted kitchen where there are further matching base and wall mounted units. The worktop incorporates the sink and drainer, and the recess to one side allows for the Falcon Range cooker with bespoke hand-painted tiled splashbacks and extractor hood over. Space for dishwasher and fridge. Wooden window overlooking the kitchen garden and the wooden door gives access to the kitchen garden itself. A Velux window provides further natural light.

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Study

The other part of the Victorian extension from about 1860. Wooden sash windows to the side elevations and the addition of two Velux windows allows plenty of natural light. Mainly carpeted area with desk space and ample shelving. Spotlights, partial panelling, and a wooden side door gives access to the rear courtyard area.

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Cloakroom & Shower Room

Tiled floor, racking for shoes and wall mounted coat hooks make this a generous cloakroom area. An inner door opens into the shower room with shower cubicle, low level WC and vanity wash basin. Heated towel rail. Tiled floor. Obscure window to the side elevation. Obscure window to the side giving extra light from the utility room.

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Utility Room

Wooden sash window to the courtyard. A range of base and wall mounted units incorporate a large Belfast Sink and slate work tops. The open fireplace recess houses the boiler with exposed stone walls and slate hearth. Plumbing for washing machine and space for further appliances. Obscure window to the side which allows light into the cloakroom. Wooden door gives access into the property’s attached Workshop.

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Workshop

An incredibly useful storage area for tools, paint pots, and other household goods, with shelving and cupboards. Doors give access to front and rear elevations.

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Entrance to Darloe House is through wrought iron gates which used to be the old gates to Liskeard Police Station. Either side of the gates are two garages belonging to the property. There is vehicular and pedestrian access across a shared forecourt.

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Front Garden

The Georgian period saw formality give way to a naturalistic style in gardening, inspired in part by paintings of classical views. Georgian gardens were designed to be seen from the house but were not seen as an extension or as an outdoor room like they are today. The gardens at Darloe House compliment the property’s stature and importance. Herbaceous borders and bedding areas are used to soften the perimeter walls and to add interest whilst attracting wildlife.

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Recent History Of The Front Garden

The front garden was re-designed in the formal Georgian style by Sarah Hill in 2009. After the initial set of stone steps between the two garages, a natural stone path with surrounding warm golden pea shingle and Box hedging provides a formal approach towards the front elevation. A small area of grass leads to a path, again lined by Box hedging with adjacent formal rose garden and other herbaceous borders. This culminates in a shingle area with circular Box hedging in front of both ground floor windows as you approach the front door. To the right is a walled kitchen garden with raised vegetable beds and mixed planting with standard roses and other shrubs. There is a beautifully sheltered patio area for outside eating. To the left is a gate leading to a paved area by the workshop, which then leads to the rear courtyard.

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Back Garden & Summerhouse

From the rear courtyard, a series of steps and a path leads up to a greenhouse, tool shed, cold frame and pond. A wooden bridge reaches across the pond taking you from one tier to another in this generous garden, with further areas of slate and stone leading to several areas of lawn. Vibrant planting encases the terraced areas to the rear of the property with an abundance of shrubs, flowers and fruit trees. At the top of the garden there is a large south facing patio and a stunning bespoke summerhouse which was built in 2018 with double glazing and two small sections of beautiful stained glass window panels. It has composite cladding for easy maintenance. To one side is a partially hidden and fenced area with raised vegetable beds, and to the other is a small paved area for outdoor eating, together with a shed for storing garden furniture.

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