Park Head cemetery

Nearest town:
Newquay (10km SSW)
OS reference:
SW846712
OS sheet:
200
Latitude:
50° 30' 1.07 N
Longitude:
5° 2' 15.95 W
Added to TMA by

Images

Image of Park Head cemetery (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by juamei

Open Source Environment agency LIDAR

Image credit: © Environment Agency copyright and/or database right 2015.
juamei
juamei Jan 24, 2016
Image of Park Head cemetery (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by thesweetcheat

The most prominent barrow from the southeast. There is one more barrow somewhere in the gorsey wilderness in the foreground, but it’s not shown on the OS and we didn’t know it was there.

Image credit: A. Brookes (16.6.2015)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jul 5, 2015
Image of Park Head cemetery (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by thesweetcheat

The barrow at SW 8447 7101, the finest in the group at the high point of the headland.

Image credit: A. Brookes (16.6.2015)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jul 5, 2015
Image of Park Head cemetery (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by thesweetcheat

The coastally-challenged barrow at SW 8444 7120, with the better-preserved western barrow visible behind on the right.

Image credit: A. Brookes (16.6.2015)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jul 5, 2015
Image of Park Head cemetery (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by thesweetcheat

The barrow at SW 8444 7120, which would be pretty good if half of it hadn’t fallen over the cliff.

Image credit: A. Brookes (16.6.2015)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jul 5, 2015
Image of Park Head cemetery (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by thesweetcheat

The easternmost barrow is set back a long way from the cliff edge.

Image credit: A. Brookes (16.6.2015)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jul 5, 2015
Image of Park Head cemetery (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by thesweetcheat

The easternmost barrow (SW 8461 7126) in the group has a huge diameter (c.30m) but is low, suggesting it’s been lowered and spread by ploughing.

Image credit: A. Brookes (16.6.2015)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jul 5, 2015
Image of Park Head cemetery (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by thesweetcheat

The barrow at SW 8478 7150, with the northernmost barrow directly behind.

Image credit: A. Brookes (16.6.2015)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jul 5, 2015
Image of Park Head cemetery (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by thesweetcheat

As well as coastal views, the northern barrow also looks up the valley towards Trevemedar.

Image credit: A. Brookes (16.6.2015)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jul 5, 2015
Image of Park Head cemetery (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by thesweetcheat

The scooped top of the northern barrow at SW 8481 7157.

Image credit: A. Brookes (16.6.2015)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jul 5, 2015

Articles

Miscellaneous

Park Head cemetery
Barrow / Cairn Cemetery
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jul 5, 2015

Extensive cemetery of Bronze Age barrows on Park Head, near to an Iron Age cliff fort. In addition Mesolithic flints have been found on the headland.

Details from Cornwall & Scilly HER, north to south:

SW 8481 7157
This is the northernmost of the group of barrows on Park Head; it stands on a cliff edge looking north. It is a bowl barrow 0.9m high and 18m across with sunken top. The barrow is Scheduled and covered by grass.

SW 8478 7150
This is the second northernmost of the group of barrows on Park Head; it stands on a slope looking north. It is a bowl barrow 0.6m high. The barrow is Scheduled and is under pasture.

SW 8479 7148
This is the third northernmost of the group of barrows on Park Head; it stands on a slope facing north, very close to the barrow 21780.2. It has been almost entirely removed, leaving just a small rim about 12m across (h1). It is covered by grass.

SW 8441 7130
This is the westernmost of the group of barrows on Park Head; it stands on a clifftop looking west. It is 1.7m high and 27m across, but has been mutilated by a number of excavations in the sides. The barrow is Scheduled and is under pasture.

SW 8461 7126
This is the one of the group of barrows on Park Head; it stands 200m from the cliff tops. This barrow is in arable land but is under pasture; the plough has bitten into the sides somewhat. The remains are 0.6m high and are Scheduled.

SW 8444 7120
This is the one of the group of barrows on Park Head; it stands on a clifftop looking south-west. It is 0.7m high and 27m across, but has been mutilated by a number of eroded areas of rabbit holes. Parts of the west side have been lost to the cliff edge; otherwise the barrow is covered by grass and is Scheduled.

SW 8447 7101
This is one of the group of barrows on Park Head; it stands 50m from the cliff top. This barrow is in good order, 1.5m high and 18m across. It has been mutilated by a number of small excavations, and was recorded in 1760 as having “just been opened”, although it was apparently intact in 1865. The barrow is Scheduled and now under pasture. The barrow may have been used as a beacon.

SW 8454 7084
This is the southernmost of the group of barrows on Park Head; it stands 50m from the cliff top. This barrow was rediscovered by Sheppard in 1978, from the coastal path; it is covered by gorse elsewhere. It was indicated on Thomas’s survey sheet and may have been used as a beacon in the early C19.

Sites within 20km of Park Head cemetery

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