A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE PAINTERS COTTAGE, ST IVES
Located on Talland Road, the Painters Cottage, as it is now known, has been closely associated with the homes and studios of the colourful artists’ colony in St Ives at the beginning of the twentieth century. It was originally known as ‘Closeburn’.
The Painters Cottage was built in the Arts and Crafts style that was fashionable at the end of the nineteenth century. Although not a cottage in size it incorporates many cottage features such as two foot thick walls, small pane windows, slate hung gables , low roof profiles and a double turn staircase. It was built by a local speculative builder Richard Toy, who developed many of the large artist’s houses in this area of St Ives known as the Belliers.
The property was first recorded as owned by Thomas Millie Dow in 1899. Millie Dow was one, of the group of painters known as ‘The Glasgow Boys’. Several of his important Cornish period works are exhibited in public collections of British art galleries. He served as President of St Ives Arts Club in 1898.
Early tenants at the ‘Painter’s Cottage’ were the Kirkpatrick sisters who enjoyed varying degrees of acclaim and success as exhibited artists. Lily, the youngest, became as well known for the intimate relationship she enjoyed with Edith Ellis, the wife of Havelock Ellis, who had written controversial (at the time) books on sexuality. The Ellis’ lived at the Count House in Carbis Bay, which later became the home of Bernard Leach the potter.
Millie Dow, with his wife Florence Pilcher had moved permanently to St Ives in 1895, living at Talland House, situated opposite the Painter’s Cottage. The previous leaseholders, Julia and Leslie Stephen, had spent many summers there, with their family, who included the young Virginia Woolf and Vanessa Bell. Millie Dow quickly purchased the freehold from the Great Western Railway Company.
The view from Talland House, (which is not very different from the view at the Painter’s Cottage) toward Godrevy Lighthouse provided inspiration for Virginia Woolf’s semi-autobiographical novel ‘To the Lighthouse’. A stylised version of this view was also depicted by Vanessa Bell in ceramic tiles, which were given to Virginia Woolf as a birthday present and are now to be seen at Monk’s House, a National Trust property situated at Rodmel in East Sussex.
Thomas Millie Dow died in 1919 and is buried at Zennor Churchyard. Florence continued to live at Talland House until her death in 1952 aged 95. During a visit to his grandmother in 1945, whilst recuperating from injuries sustained during World War 2, Graham Pilcher met Rosamunde Scott from Lelant, whom he married. Rosamunde Pilcher’s novels, notably ‘The Shell Seekers’ have provided an incentive for many people to visit St Ives and Cornwall, from across the world.
The Painter’s Cottage remained in the ownership of the Pilcher family and their descendants until 1972, retaining many of its original features. It was bought by Duncan, the present owner in 2005 and over a number of years a sympathetic programme of renovation was carried out in order to equip it as a holiday cottage for twelve people. Duncan and his partner Madie have continued the transformation into a Bed and Breakfast establishment with five letting bedrooms themed around artists, architects and sculptors.
The Painters Cottage was built in the Arts and Crafts style that was fashionable at the end of the nineteenth century. Although not a cottage in size it incorporates many cottage features such as two foot thick walls, small pane windows, slate hung gables , low roof profiles and a double turn staircase. It was built by a local speculative builder Richard Toy, who developed many of the large artist’s houses in this area of St Ives known as the Belliers.
The property was first recorded as owned by Thomas Millie Dow in 1899. Millie Dow was one, of the group of painters known as ‘The Glasgow Boys’. Several of his important Cornish period works are exhibited in public collections of British art galleries. He served as President of St Ives Arts Club in 1898.
Early tenants at the ‘Painter’s Cottage’ were the Kirkpatrick sisters who enjoyed varying degrees of acclaim and success as exhibited artists. Lily, the youngest, became as well known for the intimate relationship she enjoyed with Edith Ellis, the wife of Havelock Ellis, who had written controversial (at the time) books on sexuality. The Ellis’ lived at the Count House in Carbis Bay, which later became the home of Bernard Leach the potter.
Millie Dow, with his wife Florence Pilcher had moved permanently to St Ives in 1895, living at Talland House, situated opposite the Painter’s Cottage. The previous leaseholders, Julia and Leslie Stephen, had spent many summers there, with their family, who included the young Virginia Woolf and Vanessa Bell. Millie Dow quickly purchased the freehold from the Great Western Railway Company.
The view from Talland House, (which is not very different from the view at the Painter’s Cottage) toward Godrevy Lighthouse provided inspiration for Virginia Woolf’s semi-autobiographical novel ‘To the Lighthouse’. A stylised version of this view was also depicted by Vanessa Bell in ceramic tiles, which were given to Virginia Woolf as a birthday present and are now to be seen at Monk’s House, a National Trust property situated at Rodmel in East Sussex.
Thomas Millie Dow died in 1919 and is buried at Zennor Churchyard. Florence continued to live at Talland House until her death in 1952 aged 95. During a visit to his grandmother in 1945, whilst recuperating from injuries sustained during World War 2, Graham Pilcher met Rosamunde Scott from Lelant, whom he married. Rosamunde Pilcher’s novels, notably ‘The Shell Seekers’ have provided an incentive for many people to visit St Ives and Cornwall, from across the world.
The Painter’s Cottage remained in the ownership of the Pilcher family and their descendants until 1972, retaining many of its original features. It was bought by Duncan, the present owner in 2005 and over a number of years a sympathetic programme of renovation was carried out in order to equip it as a holiday cottage for twelve people. Duncan and his partner Madie have continued the transformation into a Bed and Breakfast establishment with five letting bedrooms themed around artists, architects and sculptors.
