234 CAEMINOW OF CARMIKOW. 



hood, of different size and plan, as well as material, from that 

 in the hall below, but these were, probably, co-eval, as the same 

 chimney served for both. Massive stone sconces, or brackets, 

 for holding lamps or candles, projected like corbels from the 

 western wall of the hall chamber, high up on either side of the 

 fire. These, together with the doorways, windows, and all other 

 characteristic fragments of earlier architecture, have been built 

 into the different parts of the new buildings, as the best mode of 

 preserving them. Two only of the windows of the Manor house 

 appear to remain tmaltered from their original form. These 

 were in the north wall, overlooking the moat, and were square- 

 headed, stone-mullioned, without labels, and quite decayed with 

 age. The whole manor house seemed to have been rebuilt long 

 ago out of the materials of a former house, of the date of Henry 

 III and later reigns, the tower being the most recent part. 



In modern times frequent use is said to have been made of 

 these venerable walls for storing smuggled goods. A well-served 

 boat was always ready in the barn for conveyance to Grunwalloe 

 beach, and two roomy caves or cellars were found in 1861, 

 sufficient for the storage of a very respectable number of casks. 

 These were concealed beneath the floors of the stable and barn, 

 one of them being furnished with a closely-fitted cover of stone 

 sufficiently below the floor to allow the pavement of small stones 

 to be relaid upon it, and covered with a bedding of straw for the 

 horses, as soon as the precious contents had been safely lodged 

 in the cellar beneath. A labourer, who died quite recently, and 

 was employed as a farm boy at Carminow half a century ago, 

 used to relate the hair-breadth escapes which his employer had 

 in securing his boat and cargo here. But these days of adven- 

 ture are now almost forgotten, whilst merged in the history of 

 the past, and the eaves are no longer to be seen. 



Untenanted by a lord of the manor since the reign of Queen 

 Elizabeth, the buildings were divided between the two farmers to 

 whom the Barton was since leased, and substantial repairs ceased 

 to be executed, until, at length, the whole became so ruinous, 

 that it only remained for the severe storms which swept the coast 

 in the winter of 1860-1, to unroof and destroy so much of the 

 walls, that it was found necessary to remove them without delay. 

 An entirely new suite of buildings, including a dwelling house, 

 has since been erected on the site, on a plan more suited to the 



