Wymering Guest House History

Wymering Guest House was built in 1839 and has enjoyed a long and rich history; from Guest House to family home of a relative of the Brontë sisters, a Minister, a Naval Officer, and then back once more to a stylish Guest House. It is listed on the Statutory List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. The current proprietors, Pam and Terry Chinn, purchased Wymering in 1971.

From the book ~ Courtney, Louise. Half a Century of Penzance (1825–1875)—from notes by J. S. Courtney; "I remember the late Mr. John Matthews, many years surveyor of the town, showing me at the end of the preceding year the proposed plan for building Regent Square. In that field all the Sunday School children of Penzance and the neighbouring villages took tea I think in 1835, at a festival in memory of the first establishing of Sunday Schools."

(from www.west-penwith.org.uk© Rick Parsons)

Wymering was most likely designed by local architect and town surveyor John Matthews as a fashionable Georgian town house. It was built in 1839 on fields used for picnics by the local Sunday Schools.

Wymering was constructed of granite quarried from ancient moorlands at the north of Penzance. This was covered in plaster and lime. Pargeting was added at the side of the house depicting an anthemion and scrolls at the top and a Greek key design at the bottom. Doric columns were built around the door as a further nod to ancient Greek design.

The first resident was Mary Andrew, a young and wealthy widow. She purchased Wymering in 1839 and opened it as a stylish guest house, taking advantage of Penzance's newly found status as a highly fashionable and aristocratic health resort, due to its mild climate and refreshing sea air. She ran it for seventeen years.

In 1856, the house was sold to Robert M Branwell, presumably for a very high price as Miss Andrew moved to a house only four doors away. Mr Branwell and his family were prominent business people and listed as gentry. They ran a very large local business in the flour trade, some of which can still be viewed today near the Penzance railway station. Mr Branwell was also a relative of the Brontë sisters, whose mother lived in the next street. To read more about the Branwell family and their relationship to the Brontës, please visit the brontefamilyblog

Wymering was Robert Branwell's family home for a number of years where he lived with his wife, two young children and two servants. Around 1864 Robert moved to Redinnick House, presumably to be closer to his brother and business partner J R Branwell, who at the time owned the Penlee House and gardens (now Penlee Park).

Around 1864, the Reverend Robert Bell moved in. He was a Wesleyan minister and likely the minister at Chapel Street's Methodist church.

By 1871, the house had been sold to a retired Cornish couple, John and Elizabeth Stephens. Mr Stephens was a Naval Officer and Chief Boatman of the Coastguards in various locations in Cornwall in Devon, wherever smuggling was rife. He also served in the Crimean war in 1854-1856. They let the attached annex to a Scottish couple called Charles and Jessie Anderson. Mr Anderson was formerly the Professor of Languages at Aberdeen and likely wished to spend his retirement in Penzance, as is still popular today.

By 1891 a new family had moved in and between then and 1911 records suggest it was again let as a guest house. In the late Victorian and early Edwardian times a holiday in Penzance was considered the height of fashion, and the temperate climate and pure sea air a tonic to health. People would dress in their finery and take a stroll along the Promenade to take the air or visit the Morrab gardens to view its rich array of sub-tropical plants, which thrive in Penzance because of the mild, sunny climate.

In 1971, local couple Pam and Terry Chinn purchased Wymering and opened it once again as a stylish Guest House. During the refurbishments they have found a number of Georgian artifacts hidden within the structure of the house, their origins and back story a mystery.