Case Studies
The Prince's Regeneration Trust: Old Duchy Palace, Lostwithiel
The Duke of Cornwall’s Palace at Lostwithiel was built at the end of the 13th Century as the administrative centre for the Duchy, at the time when Lostwithiel was Cornwall’s principal port. It was never a ducal residence, but boasted a large Great Hall and a number of other buildings, including the Exchequer Hall where the taxes due on smelted tin were collected. The Palace became ruinous in the 17th Century, but one of the original halls still survives intact and from 1878 it was used as a Freemasons’ temple. The building is of prime importance in the history of Cornwall and for this reason, as well as its age and architecture, it is listed Grade I.
The Trust purchased the Palace in January 2009 with the support of the Duke of Cornwall’s Benevolent Fund and it is working with its partner, the Cornwall Buildings Preservation Trust, to procure grant funding to carry out alterations and repairs, and to secure a long-term use for the building, including public access. The Trust has so far received confirmation of approximately £500,000 towards the cost of the project from a mixture of public and private donors and it is in the process of preparing tenders for the works which need to be undertaken.
For further information visit www.princes-regeneration.org