These curious dwellings were built in 1782 by a former vicar of the parish Jeremiah Trist although the idea was said to be that of a certain Charles Penrose of St.Winnow. It is believed that the houses were built for each of his five daughters although curiously at the time of their construction the Rev.Trist is known to have only had three daughters! All five houses are built of cob - an amalgam of clay, earth and straw - on stone foundations. There are two pairs of roundhouses ( one at each end of the village ) and a fifth behind the village school. The latter boasts a slate roof whereas the others are all thatched. It is commonly said that the houses were so constructed so as to provide no corners for the devil to hide in. With their roofs surmounted with crosses the roundhouses of Veryan were well designed and ideally positioned to guard the entrances to the village against encroaching evil.