Boconnoc

The story of the estate at Boconnoc, situated near Lostwithiel in south-east Cornwall, is an extraordinary one. As this history demonstrates, members of the Cornish families who have owned the estate over many centuries have played important roles within the immediate locality and in national events. Catherine Lorigan explores their eventful lives - or in many cases deaths: dragged over a cliff by greyhounds, slain in battle, executed for treason or killed in duels. She traces how the medieval fortified tower house evolved into a Georgian mansion, discusses how the grounds and gardens have been transformed, and examines the relationship of the estate with the agricultural and industrial landscape in which it is set. Still family owned and run, Boconnoc retains the qualities that give it its magical and timeless ambience, while simultaneously, it has become a dynamic and successful business for the twenty-first century.

Catherine Lorigan has a BA (Hons) in Medieval and Modern History, an MSt in English Local History, a PhD in Cornish Studies, an MA in Music and a Diploma in Vernacular Architecture with distinction, Oxford University. She was awarded the overall Holyer an Gof award by the Cornish Gorsedd for my book, Delabole, in 2008. She was awarded the Henwood Medal by the Royal Institution of Cornwall, Truro, for the best article in their Journal, 2000-2002, 'Thomas Rowlandson and the Delabole Slate Quarry.' Her previous book for The History Press, Boconnoc: The History of a Cornish Estate, was published in 2017.