Victorian Lime Kiln in Cornwall Renovated into Extraordinary Holiday Home 

A Cornish Lime Kiln with a fascinating history has been brought back to life and is being let out for holidays after an extensive renovation.

The Old Kiln in Port Navas was formerly a 19th Century working lime kiln, accessed by boat via passage up and down the Helford River on the southern coast of Cornwall.

The quay that the property sits upon, in the tiny hamlet of Port Navas, is of international significance due to the part it played in the construction of some of the world's most iconic buildings. The wall nestled between The Old Kiln and Port Navas Yacht Club was once part of the gantry used to put granite into the holds of waiting ships. Cut granite from Port Navas and local quarries in the area made up the base for Nelson's Column and large parts of London's Embankment. 

Emily Boriosi, Director of Cornish Holiday Cottages, the agency managing the property says “The Old Kiln has long garnered curiosity for everyone living in and around Port Navas, so to be able to offer it to our guests as a modern retreat is very exciting. South facing and right on the water, it's the perfect place for contemplation”.

The lime kiln first became a home in 1968, when a female architect was commissioned, by letter, to create something unique in a post-modernist style rarely seen in Cornwall. At the time it was constructed, the unique wave-form roof was unlike anything else seen along the Helford River.

The owner at the time was a Mrs Shaw, a missionary working in Angola who possessed eccentric tastes. A Cornish bard and one of the few remaining Cornish speakers Mrs Shaw lived largely in solitude in the house on the creek, up until she passed away in her 90's. During this time the sole access was unbelievably via a very steep, ladder like staircase.

Falmouth architect Michael Hormann, who oversaw the latest round of renovations to the building alongside the owners, sought to retain elements of its fascinating past, honouring it's unique and textured history. 

ENDS