2019-08-01_Homes_&_Antiques 2

LEFTTORIGHTThesittingroomis
furnishedwithpiecesgatheredfromfarand
wide.Theantiquearmchair,nowre-covered
in a stripedfabricfromRomo,camefrom
Italy,whiletheMoraSwedishclockwas
foundcloserto homein anantiquesshop
in Bath;a glass-frontedcabinet,whichSue
paintedcream,is hometo a collectionof
pots,antiqueglazedjugs, shells and curios
found on the beach.

homeledtoa swi move up the hill
toMayHouse.
Siingona shelteredlanepunctuated
byancientpassagewaysonceusedby
smugglers,andwithfabulousviews
acrosstheharbour,thehouseisoneof
thepreiestpropertiesinPortIsaac.
Legendhasit thehousewasbuiltfora
localseaman,CaptainMay,who,aer
apparentlydrowningina shipwreck,
mysteriouslyreturnedonhorseback
a yearlater;muchtohiswife’s
understandableamazement.
CaptainMay’shousewasbuiltinthe
early1800sinthetraditionalmanner,
withlocalgraniteandplastermixed
withseawaterfromtheharbour.Run
yourngerdowntheoldwallsandyou
cantastethesaltthatstillseepsthrough.
Elegantandwelcoming,thehouseis
GradeII-listedandretainsplentyofits
originalfeatures,thoughtodayit feels
verydierentfromthepoky,dark-
paintedroomsandheavy furnishings
thecoupleinherited.
Keentobringherownstyletothe
slightlytiredhouse,Sueemployeda
teamoflocalbuildersfortherenovation,
duringwhichthecentralstaircasewas
strippedbackandreplaces,doorsand
windowswereallrestored.Oldcarpets
wererippedupandtheoorboards
eitherpolishedorpainted.Thebiggest
changeinvolvedknockingtwocramped
roomsatthefrontofthehouseintoone
big,sunnyopenspace.Theoriginal
footprintoftheroomisrevealedbythe
oor, which is a combination of lovely

Runyournger

downtheoldwalls

andyoucantaste

thesaltthatstill

seeps through.

HOMES Cornish Escape

August 2019 Homes & Antiques 75