Jeanette Ratclifffe in ‘Scilly’s Archaeological Heritage’ (Twelveheads Press, 1995) gives the following info. “Two prehistoric round houses and associated field wall. Though perhaps an Iron Age cliff castle because of its promontory location, none of the walls appear substantial enough to have formed a line of defence and an unenclosed settlement is more likely. Each hut consists of a levelled area enclosed by a circle of boulders set on edge. The field system comprises boulder walls, slightly lynchetted, standing a maximum of 0.6metres high”
‘The Earth Mysteries Guide to Ancient Sites on the Isles of Scilly’ (Meyn Mamvro, 1995, revised 1996 & 1999) adds little extra.
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Jeanette Ratclifffe in ‘Scilly’s Archaeological Heritage’ (Twelveheads Press, 1995) gives the following info. “On the north-western knoll is an entrance grave with a kerb of very large boulders and outcrop, and an off-centre chamber with walls but no capstones. Halfway along the ridge lies a second entrance grave with a kerb similar to the first and a chamber with its floor and walls of large boulders and natural rocks. No capstones remain. On the south-eastern knoll are an entrance grave and a cairn. The first has an oval mound with an incomplete stone kerb and a ruinous central chamber of boulders set on edge with two upright stones flanking its entrance but no capstones. The second is a circular cairn, partially kerbed with upright boulders and with an off-centre cist built against natural rock. Stone slabs form its other three sides, but no capstones survive”
Craig Weatherhill, in “Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall & Scilly” (Cornwall Books - 1985, revised 1997 & 2000) adds…”Each of the three summits of Cruther’s Hill carries barrows. The northern summit has an oval, kerbed mound with diameters of 12m and 8m. It is 0.9m high and incorporates natural outcrops. The chamber, in an off-centre position near the south-western end of the mound, appears rather cist-like despite its length of 3.8m. It is 0.7m wide, with its western end covered by one surviving capstone. The tomb on the central summit is an unmistakable entrance grave, 8m in diameter and 1.8m high. It has a massive kerb, broken on the north-east by the entrance to a roofless chamber 4.7m long, 1.2 long (sic), and 1.0m deep. The southern summit bears the remains of two conjoined barrows. The northernmost, 6.5m across, incorporates natural rock. In the centre are the remains of what may have been an entrance grave, but its original plan and orientation are impossible to ascertain from surface appearance. The southern mound is 4.5m in diameter and 0.8m high and retains much of its kerb. There is a large natural boulder within the kerb, but no trace remains of any chamber or cist that the barrow may have held. All the barrows are likely to be of late Neolithic or Early Bronze Age date.”
Cornovia also has two of Weatherhill’s classic sexy diagrams. Note – the photo in Cornovia is actually of Bant’s Carn (from the opposite page).
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Jeanette Ratclifffe in ‘Scilly’s Archaeological Heritage’ (Twelveheads Press, 1995) gives the following info. “A well-preserved entrance grave consisting of a circular cairn surrounded by an incomplete kerb of large boulders with an infilled chamber, with coursed stone walls and two capstones still in place. On the slopes below lie nine small cairns (some kerbed). A low stony bank ditched on its south side cuts the island in half. Of unknown date, it is later in character than the fragmentary prehistoric field system of boulder walls, forming a rectilinear pattern.”
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‘The Earth Mysteries Guide to Ancient Sites on the Isles of Scilly’ (Meyn Mamvro, 1995, revised 1996 & 1999) gives the following info. “On Higher Town Beach to the East of New Quay lies this prominent stone row (partially covered at high tide), the only one positively identified on the Scillies. A previous one thought to be on the island of Old Man (Tean) has been shown to be a wall structure. Three stones still exist in the St.Martin’s row, one of which is grooved and one of which may have (natural?) cup marks. The row seems to point to Chapel Dows above to the NE, and may therefore have marked the place from which to view the Midsummer sun rising over the prehistoric sites on the Downs”
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Nicholas Johnson and Peter Rose in ‘Cornwall’s Archaeological Heritage’ (Twelveheads Press, 1990) consider it “One of the most spectacular sites in the county” and give the following info. “Excavated in 1963-67, the site was occupied between 4th Century BC and 1st Cent AD. Round houses were found with pottery, bones and other artifacts suggesting a settled occupation much the same as in inland hillforts (e.g. Warbstow). Traces of hut platforms can be seen behind the inner rampart and on the slopes of the E knoll, along with the lines of at least two fields. The ramparts (numbered 1-4 onwards) are part of two phases. In Phase 1, ramparts 1 (inner) and 3 were built with a large area, perhaps of defended grazing, between them. Phase 2 – ramparts 2 and 4 (outer) built, rampart 1 still in use, rampart 3 abandoned. A modern wall has been built into the outer rampart. The defences were at their most complex, with massive wooden gateways and walkways over the top, just before abandonment.”
Antiquities of the Cornish Countryside (Tor Mark Press – no date, seems to be early 1970’s) gives the following info. “Lies at the entrance to the River camel, north side. Reached by B3314 from Wadebridge to St.Minver and then by C roads to Pentire Farm, on Pentire headland. Take the coastal footpath (signposted). The large and well defended fort was recently excavated and has three great banks and ditches thrown across the approaches to Rumps Point; behind them lie the remains of Iron Age dwellings”
Craig Weatherhill, in “Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall & Scilly” (Cornwall Books - 1985, revised 1997 & 2000) adds “The magnificent cliff castle at the Rumps, near Polzeath, was found to have housed a thriving community which perhaps had trading links with the Mediterranean through the Breton tribe, the Veneti. It may be that the Veneti themselves built the Rumps and other cliff castles, notable Gurnard’s Head which bears similarities to Breton cliff castles on the coast formerly inhabited by the Veneti”
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Mentioned by Craig Weatherhill, in “Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall & Scilly” (Cornwall Books - 1985, revised 1997 & 2000). “There is a sadly ruined tomb on the summit of Samson Hill, but this excellent tomb is situated on a flat ledge on the steep southern face of the hill, directly beneath a high outcrop whence one gains a superb aerial view of the site. 9m in diameter, the denuded mound is retained by a massive kerb still two courses high in places. The chamber (entered from the north east) is coffin-shaped: 0.8m wide at the entrance, 1.4m in the middle and 1.1m at the distal end. Six capstones, one of which is displaced, still cover much of the somewhat infilled chamber.”
Jeannette Ratcliffe in ‘Scilly’s Archaeological Heritage’ (Twelveheads Press, 1995) gives the following info. “At the eastern end [of Samson Hill] lies an oval cairn, enclosing a rock outcrop and surrounded by a kerb of 21 stones. A few metres north-east is an overgrown entrance grave; a mound, revetted by 10 nearly-set kerbstones and other natural rocks. The central hollow is probably the remains of a chamber”
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Jeannette Ratcliffe in ‘Scilly’s Archaeological Heritage’ (Twelveheads Press, 1995) gives the following info. “At the west end of the hilltop, an irregular D-shaped kerbed cairn built against a natural rock has remains of a chamber running along the outcrop. Two metres north-east on a natural eminence of bare rock by the footpath is a simple cairn with a slight central disturbance”.
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Jeannette Ratclifffe in ‘Scilly’s Archaeological Heritage’ (Twelveheads Press, 1995) gives the following info. “An oval shaped cairn built out from the slope incorporating at least three natural rocks, is revetted by an almost complete kern of large orthostats (21 visible) with a chamber extending for much of its length. The sides are of slabs set on edge, with some coursed walling. Five capstones remain, two still in place.”
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Mentioned by Craig Weatherhill, in “Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall & Scilly” (Cornwall Books - 1985, revised 1997 & 2000). ”This Iron Age/Roman-British fort occupies a small hillside spur overlooking a deep valley to the east, rather than a hilltop position. Oval is plan, 167m by 150m, it has a single, well preserved earth rampart up to 3.7m high, surrounded by a ditch 1.5m deep. There are three entrances, facing west, north east and south east; it is not known whether all three are original. The site is forested, and no hut sites are known within the fort”
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The only reference I can find to this site comes from a snippet in ‘The Earth Mysteries Guide to Mid Cornwall and The Lizard’ (Meyn Mamvro, 1994)….” ‘Three great stones’ are noted in the Lanhydrock Atlas, possibly a stone row at Pelgodu (SX04326207 – 04406199), close to Lesquite Quoit”
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Mentioned by Craig Weatherhill, in “Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall & Scilly” (Cornwall Books - 1985, revised 1997 & 2000). “Like the Carland barrows these are sited beside the route of the main prehistoric trackway through Cornwall, which is closely followed by the A30. The prominent barrows lie in an arc on the highest ground in the neighbourhood. One, 3.0m high, is on the north of the road; the others, from 2.4m to 3.7m high, are on the south side. It is not known which of the mounds was ‘Burrow Belles’ which was opened during the reign of William III and found to contain a large burial chamber roofed by two capstones”.
Note – there is a typo in the grid ref in Cornovia – it should be the grid ref as given on this site (i.e. SW762483) or alternatively SW762482.
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This is an inscribed stone and as such probably shouldn’t be on this site unless it is a re-used menhir? The stone is built into the south west corner of the church at Cuby.
‘Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall & Scilly’ (Cornwall Books - 1985, revised 1997 & 2000) gives the following info……”this inscribed stone, dating from the 6th Century, carries the words ‘Nonnita Ercilivi Ricati Tris Fili Ercilinci’ (Nonnita, Ercilius, Ricatus – the three children of Ercilings)”
‘The Earth Mysteries Guide to Mid Cornwall and The Lizard’ (Meyn Mamvro, 1994) gives no extra info.
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Mentioned by Craig Weatherhill, in “Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall & Scilly” (Cornwall Books - 1985, revised 1997 & 2000). “This rectilinear earthwork, measuring 190m by 165m, was formerly believed to be a Roman camp. Excavation from 1968 to 1970 showed that the enclosure was of the pre-Roman Iron Age, but its most important period of use was between AD30 and AD130, when occupation outgrew the site and spilled into the outer ditch and surrounding area. Evidence was found of a road leading south-east to a mooring place on the then navigable River Fal; so was a great deal of pottery. This included amphorae and Samian ware, as well as Celtic Durotrigian ware originating from the region of Dorset. There was also evidence of iron smelting. Today only the northern rampart, 2.7m high, and its outer ditch are still impressive. Field walls overlie the west and south sides and the east ramparts appears only a low, irregular and spread bank within the field. An indistinct gap in the eastern bank represents the entrance which was found to have had a well metalled roadway. Large postholes probably held the supports of an overhead gatehouse. Excavation also revealed a small rectangular enclosure within the north-west corner of the site. The entrance of this was equipped with gate-towers. Nothing of this smaller enclosure is now visible”.
In addition. “There are a number of rectangular or rectilinear earthworks on Cornwall, for example Carvossa, Probus, and Merthen, Contrantine, which were formerly believed to have been Roman camps. It is now accepted that they were native-built enclosures of the later and Roman Iron Age, and not necessarily imitations of Roman design, for a number pre-date the Roman occupation”
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Mentioned by Craig Weatherhill, in “Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall & Scilly” (Cornwall Books - 1985, revised 1997 & 2000) as “an almost circular enclosure, 90m in diameter, defended by a single rampart and outer ditch. Trebowland Round stands on a gentle north-east facing slope. The western half of the enclosure is the better preserved, with a 1.5m deep ditch fronting a rampart 2.3m high. The eastern half has been ploughed so that the rampart appears as a spread bank 1.0m high, with only vague traces of the ditch remaining. There is no visible evidence of internal structures.”
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On National Trust open land.
Mentioned by Craig Weatherhill, in “Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall & Scilly” (Cornwall Books - 1985, revised 1997 & 2000) “This site is better described as a promontory fort. The Iron Age earthworks – two widely spaced banks and ditches, each with a central entrance – cross the neck of a thickly wooded promontory between Cowland and Lamouth Creeks. The inner rampart is the stronger of the two, reaching 3.0m in height and fronted by a ditch 1.5m deep. Within these defences, and on the highest part of the headland, is an oval bank up to 2.0m high, with parts of an external ditch. This enclosure is 115m from west to east, by 45m. The entrance faces west, directly in line with entrances through the outer banks. The fort is an unusual one and has not been excavated; however, this inner enclosure may be a secondary, perhaps post-Roman feature. The fort is cunningly sited in a semi-concealed position guarding the important confluence of the Fal and Truro Rivers.”
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Mentioned by Craig Weatherhill, in “Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall & Scilly” (Cornwall Books - 1985, revised 1997 & 2000). “Past mining activity has damaged and buried the southern part of these Iron Age defences, but the headland still displays two impressive banks and ditches. Today these ramparts are 2.5m high and the outer ditch is 0.8m deep. A number of breaches occur in the defences, and it is not certain which was the original entrance. Recent surveys have discovered at least one hut site within the defences, and, at the time of writing, excavation of the site is projected”.
Note – the grid ref in Cornovia is wrong – it should be the grid ref as given on this site (i.e. SW758591)
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On National Trust open land.
Mentioned by Craig Weatherhill, in “Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall & Scilly” (Cornwall Books - 1985, revised 1997 & 2000) “The headland is defended by a V-shaped Iron Age rampart and ditch 220m long, pierced by a single entrance 3.0m wide near the angle of the V. This entrance is somewhat indistinct and there is a scatter of loose masonry on its eastern side. The rampart, 1.5m high, incorporates natural rock outcrops and its ditch is 4.6m wide and 0.6m deep. The defended area totals 1.0ha; traces of iron Age dwelling sites have been found.”
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‘The Archaeology of Hounslow’ by Gillian Clegg (1991 – ISBN 0951831901) says “William Stukeley…..made a drawing of one of the few prehistoric field monuments in West London – Caesar’s Camp at Heathrow….Since this site was damaged by ploughing in the 19th Century, Stukeley’s drawing was valuable evidence for the archaeologists who dug the site in 1944 prior to the construction of Heathrow’s Number One runway.”
“One of the most interesting settlement (sic) at Heathrow lies directly under Runway One. Here, excavations in 1944 unearthed an Iron Age village containing 11 hut circles and a rectangular building, thought by its excavator to be the remains of a shrine or a temple. Since Iron Age temples are uncommon in Britain this find has attracted a great deal of interest. It suggests perhaps that the site functioned as a religious centre for a larger community than actually lived within the settlement. The earliest phase of huts dates to the Bronze Age. The huts were subsequently re-sited and surrounded by a massive bank and ditch which was still visible in the 19th Century and from which the site derived its nickname of Caesar’s Camp.”
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This earthwork is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, one the Albury Bottom part of the Common. Not had chance to visit yet. Seems like the big brother to the Bee Garden Earthwork (East) on the far south part of the common.
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Unfortunately this is definitely a ‘site of’ and absolutely nothing can be seen on the ground except for the east end of the North Runway at Heathrow Airport.
From the limited amount of evidence I’ve gathered so far, TQ091766 should be the area where 'Caesar’s Camp' was, as surveyed by William Stukeley in 1723. The Heathrow Visitors’ Centre says that the site was just beyond the east end of the North Runway.
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My real name is Martin, but there is already a Martin vigorously posting on this fantastic web site so I decided to use 'Pure Joy'; which was the title of the Teardrop Explodes and Julian Cope fanzine that I set up in 1988 and ran until 1991/2. Strangely my interest in ancient sites pre-dates the knowledge that Julian was also into them. However Julian's book has certainly led me to visit more, and plan holidays and pit-stops around places to visit! Studying History (and International Relations) at Uni and coming from the West Country led to a healthy fascination with ancient sites and the countryside.
I was born in 1970 in Colerne, a historic village between Bath and Chippenham (mentioned in the Domesday Book) and have spent time in Bath, Reading, Manchester, West Africa, and Ethiopia. I'm currently living near London, but itching to live in the countryside, preferably Cornwall, or Africa. Reality check! little money and inertia creep.
Most of my working life has been in the voluntary sector, usually by supporting voluntary and community groups with advice and information. I enjoy doing quite a bit of voluntary work with our Credit Union, and as an elected Council member of the National Trust.
I'm no photography expert but I like to take photos (nearly always black and white) of places I visit. Some of the earlier ones looked good but it was only with a £25 point and shoot camera that was amazing unreliable. I've now got an old Pentax SLR, but at the moment I refuse to use filters and special effects. You get what you see.
Up side of ancient site = the sense of history, the countryside, the walk, the sense of adventure, the tranquillity, and the weird things that sometimes happen.
Downside = the loneliness, territorial cows, and the cravings to get back to the countryside
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