Chûn Castle

Nearest town:
Penzance (7km E)
OS reference:
SW405340
OS sheet:
203
Latitude:
50° 8' 54.68 N
Longitude:
5° 37' 58.43 W
Added to TMA by

Images

Image of Chûn Castle (Hillfort) by thesweetcheat

Stone flanking the outer gate. The northwestern arc of the outer rampart continues over to the right, covered in dense vegetation that hasn’t been cleared for many years.

Image credit: A. Brookes (22.6.2022)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jun 11, 2023
Image of Chûn Castle (Hillfort) by thesweetcheat

Massive granite blocks marking the outer rampart, with the inner rampart beyond on the left.

Image credit: A. Brookes (22.10.2020)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jul 28, 2021
Image of Chûn Castle (Hillfort) by thesweetcheat

Between Chun and Watch Croft there are several Iron Age settlement sites, as well as prehistoric field systems that are still in use today.

Image credit: A. Brookes (22.10.2020)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jul 28, 2021
Image of Chûn Castle (Hillfort) by thesweetcheat

The tumbled stones provide ideal conditions for mosses, ferns and stonecrop to grow.

Image credit: A. Brookes (21.6.2018)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Sep 17, 2018
Image of Chûn Castle (Hillfort) by thesweetcheat

The outer rampart, also built of stone but rather more overgrown than the inner rampart.

Image credit: A. Brookes (21.6.2018)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Sep 17, 2018
Image of Chûn Castle (Hillfort) by postman

The inside of the entrance, looking into the fort.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
postman
postman Jul 29, 2018
Image of Chûn Castle (Hillfort) by postman

Sun prepares to sink into the forts gateway.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
postman
postman Jul 29, 2018
Image of Chûn Castle (Hillfort) by thesweetcheat

Looking southeast towards Mounts Bay, with the Lizard Peninsula a dark line on the horizon.

Image credit: A. Brookes (19.10.2015)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Oct 29, 2015
Image of Chûn Castle (Hillfort) by thesweetcheat

Looking east. The prominent hill on the left is Watch Croft, the highest point in West Penwith, marked with cairns and a standing stone. Also in this landscape are Nine Maidens stone circle, Men an Tol, Men Scryfa, various barrows, Bosullow Trehyllys courtyard house settlement – it’s all crammed in here!

Image credit: A. Brookes (19.10.2015)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Oct 29, 2015
Image of Chûn Castle (Hillfort) by thesweetcheat

Carn Kenidjack and Carn Bean (with radio mast and round barrow) on the western skyline.

Image credit: A. Brookes (19.10.2015)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Oct 29, 2015
Image of Chûn Castle (Hillfort) by thesweetcheat

We arrived as a large group of volunteers were doing a great job of clearing some of the vegetation from the site. One of the internal structures emerges from the greenery.

Image credit: A. Brookes (17.6.2014)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jul 31, 2014
Image of Chûn Castle (Hillfort) by thesweetcheat

Chun Castle seen from Carn Downs to the east. The courtyard settlement at Bosullow Trehyllys is visible in the field system to the bottom left of the picture.

Image credit: A. Brookes (15.6.2010)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jul 16, 2010
Image of Chûn Castle (Hillfort) by thesweetcheat

Looking west towards the distinctive outcrop of Carn Kenidjack and Carn Bean (with radio mast).

Image credit: A. Brookes (15.6.2010)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jul 15, 2010
Image of Chûn Castle (Hillfort) by formicaant

Chun castle, with the quoit to the west from the Trewellard road.

Image credit: Mike Rowland 07/09/2008.
formicaant
formicaant Sep 8, 2008
Image of Chûn Castle (Hillfort) by formicaant

Not one of “gate posts” but another single standing pillar.

Image credit: Mike Rowland 16/05/2007.
formicaant
formicaant May 17, 2007
Image of Chûn Castle (Hillfort) by formicaant

The “well” with some water in it (sept 2006).

Image credit: Mike Rowland 16/05/2007.
formicaant
formicaant May 17, 2007
Image of Chûn Castle (Hillfort) by doug

Chun Castle, another damp day in paradise.

Image credit: DOUG
doug
doug Apr 15, 2007
Image of Chûn Castle (Hillfort) by David Milner

Found this in amongst in bracken.....Usage? I have know idea but........its an impressive piece....the holes are deep and in a regular patten.....mmmmm????

David Milner
David Milner Sep 21, 2003
Image of Chûn Castle (Hillfort) by David Milner

After visiting nearby Quoit, clambering amongst the overgrown ruin of yhis Fort built over a thousand years ago, is worthwhile if the weathers fine..........Tin mine of Boskednan in the distance in direction of Lanyon and Mon Y Tol

David Milner
David Milner Sep 21, 2003
Image of Chûn Castle (Hillfort) by Moth

Hillfort very near Chun Quoit. Have seen references that it’s Iron Age, but also that it was in use previously, so I thought I’d post it....

Image credit: Tim Clark
Moth
Moth Sep 8, 2003

Articles

Chûn Castle

thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Aug 25, 2010

This time we’re heading up to the nearby Chun Castle hillfort, which actually we rarely visit on our trips. Its circular walls are satisfyingly chunky and provide a wonderful 360-degree panorama, including the engine house at Ding Dong mine, which is such a ubiquitous landmark from much of the peninsula. But we don’t hang around here for long, as our main reason for heading this way is another site we haven’t visited previously.

Chûn Castle

C
CARL Apr 19, 2010

Visited 11.4.10.
Follow signs for Great Bosullow / Chun Castle – off the Laynon Quoit road. This is a narrow lane which leads you to Trehyllys farm. There is a small sign post near the farm directing you to the Castle and Quoit. Park near to the farm and it is a 20 minute hike up the hill through the dreaded gorse and brambles. There is a ‘path’ that can be followed where other people have walked up. The site itself is well preserved – the outer wall is clearly seen and in some places still stands about 6ft tall. Once into the Castle the cup marked stone is on the left and the well is directly in front of you on the far side of the hillfort. If you walk across the site to the far side you will see the two standing stones which form the ‘gateway’ (it feels very cool to walk through!) and beyond that the Quoit is clearly seen 5 minutes walk away. This site is definitely worth visiting!

Chûn Castle

formicaant
formicaant May 17, 2007

I went here and the nearby quoit in September 2006, I’ve only just found the pictures again. You can probably see more of it in winter, when it’s not so overgrown. It’s difficult to know how much stone has been pinched over the years, but the basic outline is still there to see. It’s a very exposed site, when I was here, there was a low mist and drizzle, but still very atmospheric.

Folklore

Chûn Castle
Hillfort
Rhiannon
Rhiannon Aug 6, 2013

In the neighbourhood of the castle may be traced the obscure remains of several specimens of the edifices generally termed British huts. The country folks call them “the huts of the old people,” – a traditional name agreeing with the results of recent investigation. Upon excavating one of them, there were found a small quantity of charred wood, a great number of burnt stones, and as many fragments of pottery as filled a small bason.

From Rambles in Western Cornwall by the Footsteps of the Giants by J O Halliwell-Phillipps (1861).

Sites within 20km of Chûn Castle

Like all websites everywhere, we use cookies.