Home > Cornwall > Mousehole > Keigwin Arms Keigwin Arms
Date of photo: 1871	Picture source: Paul Hease
The Keigwin Arms was situated at 5-7 Keigwin Place. Featured in the TV series Poldark, the former Keigwin Arms is the oldest house in Mousehole being built by most accounts in the 14th century and then having cost the life of Squire Jenkyn Keigwin in 1595 whilst defending it against the Spaniards. The cannon ball that killed him was found in the house and is in the Penzance museum along with his sword. It's difficult to be sure but based on photographs, it seems to have lost the sign declaring it as an Inn soon after 1945. The grade-II* listed describes it as a 16th century Manor House. Analysis by dendrochronology published in 2008 suggests that whilst ‘perhaps the hall, predate the AD 1595 Spanish raid on Mousehole, the absence of any evidence for damage to or reuse of earlier timbers, plus the presence of other timbers felled in the early-seventeenth century, including two certainly felled in AD 1612 and AD 1613, suggests that much of the material post-dates the raid’. Nick Cahill in his ‘History of Keigwins’ has some oblique references to the building such as ‘Mid 18th century: John Wills acquired Keigwins when sold by the uncle of the present Keigwin, gent.; kept it as an Inn’ and ‘1849: Keigwin Arms put up for sale; continues in use as an inn’. Later there is a suggestion that it was converted to flats in 1860 stating ‘Before this the Keigwin Arms had been one of five inns in Mousehole’ but continues and gives us the landlord/licensees as 1873 Mrs Elizabeth Warren, 1874 John Edward Trezize and 1880 Mrs Warrens. My search of directories produced, 1852 Jas Richards, 1856 Job Hocking, 1873 John Nankivell suggesting Elizabeth Warren was just an employee, 1883 Mrs Elizabeth Warren, 1889-1891 John Trenoweth, 1893 John Bennetts and 1897-1914 unable to locate the building in the listing suggesting it was no longer a pub.
Source: Steve Turner
Listed building details:
All part of C16 Manor House. Of granite, coursed rubble and ashlar. Slate roofs. 2 storeys. 5 windows. Ground floor stone mullions moulded jambs and lintels and dripmoulds, modern casements with glazing bars. Wide doorway to Keigwin with stopped chamfered jambs and moulded lintels, large open square porch, gable ended room over supported on 4 granite columns, square, scribed, with square cushion heads, necks and bases. To left Little Keigwin stuccoed projecting gabled wing. Interior Little Keigwin, coved ceiling to 1st floor room and C17 granite fireplace, panelling in room over porch. Interior of Keigwin, 2 simple C17 granite fireplaces with stopped chamfered jambs, the 1st floor fireplace has 4 small carved square panels in frieze. Granite chimney stacks, moulded bell-topped.
Do you have any anecdotes, historical information, updates or photos of this pub? Become a contributor by submitting them here. Like this site? Follow us on Make email contact with other ex-customers and landlords of this pub by adding your details to this page.
Other Photos
Picture source: Hania Franek
Picture source: Sarah Guy
Date of photo: 2005	© Copyright Jo Turner and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence