Mount Edgcumbe House is a stately home in south-east Cornwall and is a Grade II listed building, whilst its gardens and parkland are listed as Grade I in the Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England.
Mount Edgcumbe Country Park is situated in the parish of Maker on the Rame Peninsula, overlooking Plymouth Sound; its main entrance is in the village of Cremyll.
It was the principal seat of the Edgcumbe family since Tudor times, many of whom served as MP before Richard Edgcumbe was raised to the peerage as Baron Edgcumbe in 1742. His 2nd son, George, was advanced to the rank of Earl in 1789.
Sir Richard Edgcumbe built the house between 1547 and 1553. It was gutted during World War II by German bombs in 1941, with the restoration process beginning in 1958 at the 6th Earl’s instigation. In 1971, the 7th Earl sold the estate to Cornwall County Council and Plymouth City Council, and it has been open to the public since 1988. Its interiors have been restored to 18th century styles.
The Mount Edgcumbe House estate continues to be jointly owned by Cornwall Council and Plymouth City Council and is one of South East Cornwall’s most popular historic tourist attractions. The Country Park, on the Rame Peninsula, is the earliest landscaped grounds in Cornwall and is very popular with walkers: one can walk from the Cremyll Ferry through the property to the villages of Kingsand and Cawsand. The Park, open to visitors every day all through the year from 8 am till dusk, houses the National Camellia Collection. A classic car show is held annually in the grounds, hosted by the Friends of Mount Edgcumbe and a variety of other events, which include art classes with Louise Courtnell, theatre performances, and a forestry school, are also held there.
However, the House and the adjoining Earl’s Garden are only open to visitors during the summer months, from the beginning of April until the end of September.