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Helsbury CastleHillfort
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Below are the descriptions found in the Cornwall Historic Environment Record PRN No 17789 (Site Number) Helsbury Castle is marked on current OS maps (b4). It is visible in air photos (p2) and was plotted as part of the National Mapping Programme. It is described in an Royal Institution of Cornwall report of 1850 as a near circular camp of a single bank and ditch with outworks to the north-east. The diameter of the interior circle is about 460 ft (140m) and the length of the arched outwork 400 ft (122m) by 200 ft (61m) broad, this being the entrance to the camp. (B1). A field visit by the Ordnance Survey revealed that the main work is generally well preserved although part of the southern rampart and eastern entrance have been damaged by quarrying. The outerwork is ploughed down and its entrance is no longer discernable. To the north-east of the outerwork are numerous irregularities, possibly surface quarrying (h2) (17789.01). A sherd of decorated (probably) Iron Age pottery was handed in to Cornwall Archaeological Unit by Jennie Stopford which was found in a disturbance from a large badger barrow. In the centre of the hillfort is a large rectangular enclosure, the site of St Syths chapel (17790). During 1988 the ramparts of Helsbury Castle were cleared of dense vegetation by the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (b8). The name Helsbury is first recorded in 1284 when the name was spelt 'Hellesbury' (b6). It is a combination of Cornish and English elements; hen-lys 'ancient court', 'ruins' and bury 'fortification (b7). 3-year management agreement to 9/1/98. PRN No 17790 (Site Number) The 'remains of St Syth's chapel' are marked on current OS editions (b5). A small rectangular enclosure in the centre of Helsbury Castle (prn 17789) is known as 'the chapel' (b2). This enclosure is visible on air photos (p1) and was plotted as part of the NMP. According to Henderson, the name St Syth's seems to rest only on the authority of Lysons (b1). And it was more probably dedicated to St Michael (b4). Fletcher, however, disputes this but says that no authority can be found to resolve the dedication. As the parish name is derived from the parish church of St Michael it would seem to be unusaul to have a second St Michael in the vicinity. The Michaelstow Beacon would relate to the parish rather than the chapel (h2). Maclean says that 'on top of the hill are ruins of a small quadrangular enclosure measuring 85ft by 65ft within which are the remains of a small building. A few years ago, excavations were made within the building by Rev E.T. Gibbins but nothing distinctive of a chapel was discovered'. However Maclean goes on to say 'there on the site circular headed arch cut in a solid piece of granite of an octagonal form externally, having a span of 2ft 6 inches and a height of 10 inches. The edges being chamfered and also part of the head of another arch, of a wider span with mouldings of the third pointed period (b3). A field visit by the OS revealed that the remains of the chapel comprise 8.0m, by 6. 0m stone footings up to 0.8m high internally with large granite quoins. At 2 corners there are foundations of a possible tower at the w end. The two s egmental doorheads are as described by Maclean and also a 1.0m long carved granite stone which may have been a door jamb. There are no recorded rights of burial and the enclosure bank around the chapel is probably protective rather than indicative of the extent of a burial ground (h2). Recent visits by field monument wardens indicate that architectural fragments are still present |
Posted by stevebergman 11th January 2004ce Edited 11th January 2004ce |
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After walking around Michealstow I decided to head up to the Beacon. I local farmer had told me that although it is on private land there was a stile over the wall that everyone uses. This was not the easiest thing to find but once over the walk to the hill fort was simple. The gorse covered banks surround the site of a medieval chapel and some stone work remains amongst the undergrowth incl part of an arch. Some of the forts original banks have suffered from sheep erosion and in places the area has been quarried for the local greenstone. It is still a wonderful place in which to sit and take in the views. |
Posted by Mr Hamhead29th September 2003ce |
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Helsbury Castle - 1.4.2003 Slightly strange this. After coming off of the B3266 the lane is so narrow and the field walls relatively high that you don’t really have any idea that this hill fort exists. It doesn’t rise up and slap you in the face. There is no official access to the site and the only two entrances I could find are a farm gate into the lower part of the field, at the bend in the road at SX085797, and a passing place that has strange stone steps that lead up over the field wall at SX083796 and take you just into the edge of the field to the West of the Castle. The later was particularly strange, almost as if it was there to help people get into the fields. There are four steps on the road side, and two on the field side, plus a sort of wooden stile and a warning notice that there is a low electric fence there - all very user friendly! At first I wasn’t at all impressed - the ditch and ramparts are small and you don’t get any feeling at all of being high up. But that sense was partly psychological because the fort isn’t some huge thing you see in the distance like Castle-an-Dinas. When I actually looked around I realise that I was quite high up compared to surrounding land and the views are fantastic. Craig Weatherhill, in “Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall & Scilly” (Cornwall Books - 1985, revised 1997 & 2000) says “A fine oval Iron Age fort with diameters of 170m and 160m, although some damage has been inflicted by agriculture and quarrying. It has a single rampart and ditch with a mutilated sub-rectangular annexe on the east side. The fort and annexe entrance faces east and is approached by a sunken track which may be of the same date. The main rampart of the fort reaches a height of 4.0m; its ditch survives on the south-west side. A square enclosure in the centre of the fort contains the foundations of St.Syth’s Chapel. Numerous chunks of masonry, presumably from the chapel, lie scattered around.” This post appears as part of the weblog entry Another Kernow Week
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Posted by pure joy6th April 2003ce |
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Helsbury Castle or Beacon is a fine circular earthwork. Looks like it could be Iron Age. It has a square ruin in the centre said to be the remains of a medieval chapel. The site is 684 feet above the sea and is sometimes called St. Syth’s beacon. The chapel must be pretty old as it was in already in ruins when William of Worcester visited it in1478. It reminds me very much of Knowlton Henge in Dorset which also has a religious building plonked in the middle. http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/browse.php?site_id=44#post-2117 Great views of Roughtor to the north-east. |
Posted by phil 6th January 2002ce |
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