Offers over 750,000 Ruston, Cape Cornwall, St Just, Nr. Penzance, West Cornwall FREEHOLD Offered for sale for the first time in almost 60 years, the former home and studio of the late Karl Weschke - the much celebrated St Ives School artist. Commanding uninterruptable panoramic coastal and sea views - one of the most westerly residences in mainland Britain, this remarkable attached converted former engine house offers 2 bedroomed accommodation with minimalist interiors plus inter-connecting 40 studio designed by Weschke himself where he painted most of his works. Sensationally positioned overlooking its own coastal land of about 2.5 acres extending to the South West Coast Path, just a few hundred yards from Cape Cornwall golf course and the iconic headland and cove. Pipedream becomes a reality unique and emphatically unrepeatable!
2 SUMMARY OF ACCOMMODATION Reception hall, kitchen/dining room, sitting room, inner hall, 2 double bedrooms, bath/shower room, externally accessed utility room with staircase to the huge loft space. Interconnecting 40 x 22 artist s studio. Outside: driveway and plentiful parking, lawned garden, grass floored former quarry, extensive area of coastal bracken with direct access onto the South West Coast Path. In all, about 2½ acres. HISTORY Ruston was originally part of a mine workings building for the famous mine at Cape Cornwall with its prominent chimney at the top of the Cape. The mine operated between 1838 and 1883 and it is likely that Ruston was built during this time. Cape Cornwall Mine and the headland were purchased for the nation by H J Heinz company in 1987 to commemorate a century of their operations in the United Kingdom and a plaque in the shape of one of their famous baked bean can labels commemorates this on the site. The headland and much of the surrounding coastline is now in the ownership of the National Trust and it has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2006. Behind Ruston are the high stone walls of Porthledden House, one of Cornwall s most important coastal residences built in 1907 by the De Beers Diamonds Chairman Francis
3 Oats and was modelled on Groote Schuur, an estate house for the Dutch East Indian Company on the side of Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa and it still remains in private ownership today. Francis Oats also arranged the planting of swathes of mesembryanthemum beds around the surrounding cliffs to further the South African feel. Ruston is believed to have been converted into a house in approximately 1909 but its most famous resident, Karl Weschke, moved to the property in 1960 and lived there until he passed away in 2005 and it is his widow that is now selling. Karl Weschke was the last remaining link with the St Ives School of Artists and originally came to Britain as a prisoner of war during World War 2. During his time at an open camp near Cambridge he attended courses and lectures on art organized by Cambridge University. Shortly afterwards trips to the Royal Academy and The Tate fueled the interest in art which was later cemented by extensive touring around Europe. Weschke moved to Ruston in 1960 and many of this famous paintings portray the outlook from its windows including of violent storms out to sea and fires on the surrounding moorland. Although he enjoyed his seclusion at the tip of Cornwall he would also entertain his many local and artistic friends in the rooms of the house overlooking the mesmerising views of the Atlantic and was known for providing the best delicatessen European foods and fresh fish purchased directly from the quay at Newlyn even though for most of his life he was a man of simple means. His work came to prominence in 1979 when it was selected for inclusion in the Arts Coucil s first British Art Show and the following year he held a one man exhibition at Kettle s Yard, Cambridge from which the Tate Gallery purchased a painting. The Tate acquired three further paintings in 1994, allocated a rom to his work in 1996 and put on a retrospective exhibition at Tate St Ives in 2003. Honorary doctorates from the University of Plymouth and the Arts Institute of Bournemouth were further late recognition of Karl Weschke s achievements. Nothing has really changed at Ruston since he passed away and the house certainly has a clear feeling of history about it.
4 DESCRIPTION Ruston had been a modest home, albeit in an unbelievable location, for much of the time that Karl Weschke lived there but as his prominence grew he successfully managed to convince the planners and all the other stakeholders involved in Cape Cornwall to allow him to create an artist s studio linked to the house which effectively doubled the floor area creating a 40 x 22 vaulted ceilinged open-plan room warmed by a huge woodburning stove and with enormous windows facing the sea. Amazingly the design and quality of build have meant that one could be forgiven for thinking it was part of the original building and it certainly adds another dimension to the accommodation. In recent years replacement sash windows, central heating, a contemporary solid wood kitchen and charming bath/shower room have all added to the comfort of the house but it still retains a very paired back interior aesthetic which is ideal for making artwork and the views take centre stage. On the seaward facing side is a good sized wood floored sitting room with a contemporary stove, the kitchen/dining room and one of two double bedrooms. A door links directly into the artist s studio and to the front is the other double bedroom and the bath/shower room. An external door to the front leads into a utility room with a staircase up into the attic space which is boarded and has roof windows facing the view although is not currently part of the accommodation. One of the other outstanding features of the property is that it owns about 2½ acres of sweeping coastal land. Surrounding the house is generous parking and lawned gardens with bracken then stretching all the way down to the South West Coast Path. Nestled in the grounds is a small former quarry which now has a grass floor and from its mouth there are beautiful views down over the cove and along the surrounding coastline, with these views also available from everywhere throughout the grounds. Ruston is located in one of the most beautiful and rugged areas of Britain with much of the surrounding land being protected. This combined with the history and unique style of the building make this an unrepeatable and very special opportunity indeed. LOCATION Cape Cornwall is one of the most picturesque and dramatic of all the Cornish headlands as it stands far out into the oncoming swells from the Atlantic Ocean with Priest s Cove to one side, Porth Ledden bay to the other and The Brisons rocks standing proudly out to sea. There is a small beach at Priest s Cove and a natural swimming pool amongst the rocks. Cape Cornwall golf club is just inland with panoramic views over the sea and the South West Coast Path leads off to the south where it passes the famous Cot Valley before arriving at Whitesand Bay, an expanse of sandy beach. To the north is rugged mining coastline and further coves to explore. About one mile from the property is the heart of St Just, the last town in England, where there is a wide range of day to day facilities including restaurants, inns, shops and services. About 15 minutes drive away is Penzance, an historic port town that overlooks Mounts Bay and has a full range of local and national retailers including supermarkets and both private and state schooling. Penzance is at the end of the Penzance to Paddington railway line with direct trains to London taking about 5½ hours.
5 THE ACCOMMODATION COMPRISES (all floor plans and dimensions are approximate) From the drive a glazed door opens to:- HALL. Generously proportioned, canopied ceiling edge, thermostatic heating control, painted concrete floor which then continues into the kitchen and bath/shower room. Wooden thresholds into the two bedrooms and a long inner hall leading to the studio. KITCHEN / DINING ROOM 14 2 x 12 6. Timber sash window facing the views with a deep sill. Bespoke solid wood kitchen units under either wood or light grey marble worktops with matching shelves and pegged hanging spaces. White Belfast sink with a swan neck period style mixer tap over. Space for a freestanding cooker with white tiled splashback and Elica contemporary white extractor over. Plentiful space for additional furniture and a dining table. Canopied ceiling edge, white painted door and a wooden threshold lead to:- SITTING ROOM 14 1 extending to 17 3 x 13 2. Large timber sash window facing the view with a deep sill below. Contemporary woodburning stove with exposed flue set onto a slate hearth. Exposed floorboards, large recess with fitted bookshelving, canopied ceiling edge. BEDROOM 1 13 10 x 9 8. Broad timber window facing the view, canopied ceiling edge, exposed floorboards. BEDROOM 2 12 4 x 8 9. Timber window to the front, exposed floorboards, canopied ceiling edge, fitted shelving and desk space. BATH / SHOWER ROOM. Fully tiled floor and mostly tiled walls including a wet shower area with chrome mixer shower over a floor drain. Period enamelled cast iron roll edged and claw footed bath with period chrome taps. White wc, white cantilevered wash basin with
6 wooden shelf and mirror above. Canopied ceiling edge, obscured timber window to the front, tall white towel rail, further wooden shelving and large mirror. ARTIST S STUDIO 40 5 x 22 3. A very large purpose built artist s studio under a 16 high vaulted ceiling with exposed timbers and two Velux roof windows. Captivating views through two large timber windows mirroring those found in the house and a further set of very tall picture windows drawing the outlook into the building. Large woodburning stove, hardwood door to the driveway with additional panel opening above for large art works. UTILITY ROOM. Approached from an external door to the front. Two windows, space for storage and white goods. Stairs rising to the large attic space extending over the whole of the original part of the accommodation with boarded flooring and two roof windows. OUTSIDE The property is approached over a long lane from the road down to Cape Cornwall, which leads around the high walled boundary of the neighbouring manor house. As this lane approaches Ruston it comes into the ownership of the property and leads to a large parking area to the side of the house with further parking by the front door. The driveway continues to just past Ruston where it provides parking for Ruston s neighbour to which it is attached via one corner. Immediately surrounding the property are maintained lawned gardens which extend up to the edge of the bracken. The property actually owns a wide near semi circle of ground to either side and on the view facing side of the property descending all the way down to the coast path. An intriguing feature of the grounds is that a path leads through the bracken and into an old quarry which now has a grass floor and creates a perfect sheltered suntrap
7 amphitheatre for entertaining or private relaxing. In all the coastal grounds extend to about 2½ acres. GENERAL INFORMATION VIEWING Strictly by prior appointment through: Lillicrap Chilcott, Landrian House, 59-60 Lemon Street, Truro, Cornwall, TR1 2PE. Telephone: (01872) 273473. E-mail: sales@lillicrapchilcott.com. POST CODE TR19 7NL. SERVICES Mains water and electricity. Private drainage system leading to a South West Water maintained septic tank on Ruston s land. Oil fired boiler providing central heating to the living accommodation (not the artist s studio). Supplemented by two woodburning stoves. For Council Tax see www.mycounciltax.org.uk. DIRECTIONS From Penzance take the A3071 to St Just and enter the centre of the town. Just after the main square turn left following the signs to Cape Cornwall. After passing Boswedden House on the right hand side continue for another few hundred yards and then turn right onto a lane in front of a stone house with three gables over its first floor windows. Follow this lane along beside the high wall bearing left at the end to stay beside the wall, and Ruston will be found on the right hand side. AGENT S NOTE The above particulars have been prepared as a general guide only for prospective buyers. Whilst we have endeavoured to provide a fair and reasonable description of the property, no specific survey or detailed inspection has been carried out in relation to the property, the services, the appliances and any fixtures and fittings or equipment. All buyers should rely on their own surveys and investigations in connection with any purchase of the property. All measurements, floor plans, dimensions, acreages and distances are approximate only and should not be relied upon for accuracy. OFFICE OPENING HOURS Monday to Friday 9.00am to 5.30pm. Saturday - 9.00am to 1.00pm. NB: A number of staff are available for viewing appointments all day Saturday and all day Sunday.
8 Not to scale for identification purposes only.
9 For reference only, not to form any part of a sales contract.
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