Welcome to the website of the Poundstock Gildhouse, near Bude in North Cornwall,
where you will find news and
pictures relating to the
restoration of and
events at our
Tudor church
house. If you are interested in hiring this beautiful
building please check the
diary page
for availablity.
St. Winwaloe is the parish church of Poundstock, situated in a secluded dell by a small
stream. Alongside stands its ancient Gildhouse, now a Grade 1 listed
building, the best preserved example in Cornwall of a late medieval church house
which has been in continuous use since it was built. Church houses were
built with the aim of using them as extensions of the church and the one
in Poundstock is contemporary with the late phases of the medieval
church building. |
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EDUCATIONAL
VISITS AND TUDOR DAYS
WEDDINGS AT THE GILDHOUSE
education@poundstockgildhouse.co.uk
website@poundstockgildhouse.co.uk |
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If you are interested in either an
educational visit or a Tudor Day or are thinking of Poundstock
Gildhouse as the perfect venue for your wedding reception,
please follow the links above |
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WHAT'S ON
For details of our monthly talks in the Gildhouse see the
News and Events page |
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WHAT'S ON AT THE GILDHOUSE IN JUNE |
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Wednesday 12th June |
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'FLEET' a talk by Norman Trebilcock about the Front Line
Emergency Equipment trust |
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The latest festure to add to the charm of this
beautiful old building is the newly restored well across the
road from the Gildhouse. For many years it was collapsing and
burried in brambles but now local builder Eric Harris has
completed the restoration.
Account and pictures |
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 POUNDSTOCK
GILDHOUSE EUROPA NOSTRA GRAND PRIX AWARD WINNER
Of the 28 overall laureates, six
were chosen as Grand Prix winning projects and we are
delighted to reveal that Poundstock Gildhouse was selected
as one of the six to be given an award of 10.000 euros. This
is wonderful news as not only does it recognise the work
that has gone into restoring this beautiful building but
also gives us the opportunity to continue this work.
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 Europa Nostra state that "Each
year, we reward the best of cultural heritage achievements. Through our
EU Prize for Cultural Heritage awards we celebrate excellence and
dedication by architects, craftsmen, volunteers, schools, local
committees, heritage owners and media."
To see the full details of Europa Nostra and the
award that the Gildhouse has won:
www.europanostra.org/awards
See also the News
and Events page |
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 The
unique structure was built between the 15th and 16th centuries by
skilled craftsmen using traditional techniques and materials such as
cob, local stone and slate. In the beginning the ground floor probably
comprised a kitchen, bakehouse and brewhouse, a meeting place and a
store room, while the first floor was an open feasting hall where the
'Church ales' would have been held. Church ales were celebrations held
within the church calendar, particularly at Whitsuntide and May Day when
ales were brewed and sold in order to raise funds for the Church or for
good causes in the parish. With the growth of Puritanism in the late
17th century drinking was seen as sinful, church ales were considered to
be nothing but drunken disorders and were suppressed. Church houses were
gradually abandoned, demolished or put to other uses. Poundstock
Gildhouse, by the late 18th century had been divided up to become a
poorhouse and schoolroom and in 1907 there was a large scale
refurbishment and it was turned into Parish meeting rooms as a place for year round activities,
exhibitions and celebrations. Until
last year the building was showing its age, both structurally and in
terms of its facilities and work was urgently needed to preserve it. A considerable amount of
restoration
work has been done with the aid of the Heritage Lottery Fund and
Awards for all as well as a large amount of local fundraising, to make the building sound and update the access
and facilities to the required standard. We now have a magnificent
Feasting Hall with a well equipped kitchen upstairs while downstairs
there is a smaller meeting room and kitchen. Both floors have disabled
facilities and in one corner of the ground floor there is even a completely preserved little stable where the Schoolmistress used to
keep her pony. |
Bookings
and Charges
Now the restoration is finished, this irreplaceable part of Poundstock's heritage has the potential to become the venue for a diverse and inclusive range of
activities such as weddings and meetings. The Gildhouse will be open to the public as a heritage centre and may be
booked for a variety of functions throughout the year. Visit the
Gildhouse
Diary to check for availability and to see what's on.
If you would like to know more
about the restoration project,
or join the friends of Poundstock Gildhouse,
please do not hesitate to
contact us. We hope you enjoy browsing the website!
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