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Starapark Barrows (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) — Miscellaneous

www.cornisharchaeology.org.uk/index_htm_files/.../CAS25-3s.pdf

this is useful. Also

http://www.rafdavidstowmoor.org/pages/premilitary/archaeology.html

Much of the Davidstow area was excavation c1939 by Croft Andrew for Dept of Works prior to the building of Davidstow Airfield. In the area mentioned were a considerable amount of airfield admin etc buildings - some remain. The techniques used for excavation at the time do mean that much would have been left disturbed. The biggest problem is that Croft Andrew did not get to publish much from his notes. Although this information is now available it is written third hand. I shall see what I can find and perhaps leave more information.

Cadbury Castle (South Cadbury) (Hillfort) — Miscellaneous

Cadbury Castle, South Cadbury, Somerset. there is loads of info on this site, which is, really worthwhile a visit. see the following link to Somerset Council HER record.
http://webapp1.somerset.gov.uk/her/details.asp?prn=54552

Brown Gelly Cairns (Cairn(s)) — Fieldnotes

Nice write - up Mr Hamhead. The National Monument Register number for these bronze age cairns is SX 17 SE 15 see English Heritage Pastscape online. Of general interest in the area are finds of late stone and early bronze age tools in Dozemary Pool at SX 194 748 and a Roman tin bowl at SX191 712.

Hendraburnick Quoit (Dolmen / Quoit / Cromlech) — Fieldnotes

Hendraburnick 'quoit'.

Now here is something to think about! The Cornwall and Scilly Historic Environment Record show the OS grid reference as SX13210 88190. So that's one problem out of the way. The 'quoit' is in the Civil District of North Cornwall DC and the Ecclesiastical parish of Davidstow. It is listed as being either a
Prehistoric LONG BARROW or Post-Medieval SPOIL HEAP. Further, the records state 'Dewey suggested that a large slab, surrounded by a bank and internal ditch, were the remains of a cromlech or long barrow 60ft by 30ft (b1). However, this identification is doubted by Grinsell and Daniel, who consider it more likely to be a natural feature (b2,b3). The OS surveyors agree with this view, considering the cromlech to be a natural outcrop and the faint traces of a ditch the remains of a track (h2). "Dewey's views and plan seem exaggerated and inaccurate" (h2). However, Dewey's claim also rests upon the fact that the capstone of the 'cromlech' is of a non-local rock. This should be checked before entirely dismissing the feature as natural. The mound was visible on air photos and was interpreted as a spoil heap by the NMP'.
Finds - None.
Site History
1 1911 FV DEWEY
2 1976 FV OS
Bibliography
1 1911 DEWEY, H
UNKNOWN TITLE
VOL 18, 362-364 JRIC
2 1953 GRINSELL, LV
THE ANCIENT BURIAL-MOUNDS OF ENGLAND 124
3 1950 DANIEL, GE THE PREHISTORIC CHAMBER TOMBS OF ENGLAND AND WALES 241
Photograph
1 0000 RAF 106G,UK,1498,4164-5
SMR No 7 OS No 27 Project ID Category Created 01/01/1997
Surve Morp Updated 26/04/2006

So! What do you lot reckon, after all these chaps are supposed to know?

Treligga Common (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) — Images (click to view fullsize)

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Treligga Common (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) — Fieldnotes

Treligga Common Bronze Age Barrows
Interest in the sites on Treligga Common started for my son, Philip, and I in the spring of 2004. We were at that point walking along the coastpath towards Trebarwith Strand and he had asked me about the two sites we have come across near Start Point. Whilst I was able to tell him they were probably remains of Bronze Age Barrows I could not tell him any more.

When we returned home I looked on the Ordnance Survey Explorer map number 111 and saw they were marked along with a further one some half mile or so further south and towards the centre of the common. Later, I looked on the ADS Archaeology Data service) online catalogue and the 1888 Ordnance Survey map (fig 2) which combined started the rot! I realised if I was to try to make any
sense of it I would have to do more research and make another site visit which I did so in the spring of 2005 when the overgrowth was low.

The positions of the barrows given by various parties and what I saw on the ground can be compared
on the map (fig 1)

POSITIONS OF BAROWS BY SOURCE
Ordnance survey 1888 SX04431 85719
SX04518 85548
SX04552 85386
SX04318 85162
Ordnance Survey Online 2005
Northerly Group SX044 857
Southerly Group SX045 855

Croft Andrew SX04 85

P Christie SX0431 8515
SX0443 8573
SX0450 8559
SX0453 8552

English Heritage SX0431 8515
SX0443 8573
SX0449 8559
SX0450 8559
SX0453 8552
SX0453 8556
SX0456 8537

National Trust SX043 851

For clarity I have used 'groups' to describe the possible barrows we saw. The appearance of the groups is as follows.

Group a have a clearly defined inner loose slate wall with a rubble area in the centre. There are two of these

Group b are misshapen mounds of various shapes and sizes overgrown with bramble. There are three of these.

Group c are flat with a slate ring and slate in the centre. Four of these were noted.

Group d are pits with turf walls, some appear to have loose slate inner walls. There may be more of
these but the area is very overgrown.

Lastly Area an on the map is flat and heavily strewn with slate.

As to how many there really is:

The Antiquaries Journal states 'Nine sites were dug, but five yielded no evidence of use in ancient
times'.

P. Christie 'The barrow group was marked on the OS maps, and site 7, where the wartime excavation began, is marked on the OS 6" map (1907 edition) as a Trig station, but without altitude figures. This was the most southerly and most prominent of the group and even after excavation it remained visible until continuous ploughing finally caused it's disappearance by 1973' 'Whilst there he (Croft Andrew) also managed to examine seven other potential sites on the land between it (site 7) and Start Point. Of these, three contained archaeological materiel (sites 1, 2 & 5) three were natural rock knolls and the last "had been decapitated by a scraper and told us nothing"' 'Two further sites (8 & 9) on Treligga Common are marked on CKCA's area map, but details of them do not survive'.

ADS Online
'NTSMR-ZC3' Bronze Age Barrow SX043 851
'EHNMR-63600 Barrow 1 SX04 85
'EHNMR - 63601 Barrow 2 SX04 85
'EHNMR - 63602 Barrow 5 SX0485
'EHNMR - 63613 Barrow 7 SX0485

NMR - NATINV - 431979 no title
Barrow group on Treligga Common comprising 6 barrows now either destroyed or badly mutilated.
SX0431 8515
SX0443 8573
SX0449 8557
SX0450 8559
SX0453 8552
SX0453 8556
SX0456 8537
(yes, that is seven)

So, by my reckoning:

The Antiquaries Journal -CK Croft Andrew
5 definite but a total of 9 SITES

P Christie Site 7 plus 7 other sites, 3 definite, 3 without and 1 unknown. Plus 2 further sites (8 & 9) making 10 SITES.

ADS online National Trust I site,English Heritage 4 sites,Second English Heritage state 6 sites but gives 7 locations 7 SITES

On The Ground Visible Possibilities 10 Sites plus known lost site of barrow 7 making 11 SITES.

As to their currant condition. P. Christie ' even after excavation (site 7) it remained visible until continuous ploughing finally caused it's disappearance by 1973'. I have difficulty with this as the area concerned, whilst certainly flattened, is very stony and I can see no reason why a farmer mostly concerned with pastoral farming would plough an area that would be useless for crops. P. Christie 'In January 1941 the mound was partially destroyed when a 12 foot trench was dug through it by a mechanised scraper'. The site does not actually sit on or block any of the WW2 installations nor is it in the way of the airstrip. It has to be said that someone was up to no good! P. Christie 'As a result of this unexplained action, and the resulting outcry, CK Croft Andrew was sent in by the Ancient Monuments Inspectorate to retrieve what information he could from the mutilated barrow. Whilst there, he also managed to examine seven other potential barrow sites' 'Two further sites (7 & 8) 'are marked' 'but no details'.

Historically that's it! As a result of the 'unexplained actions' the continuous ploughing' and, it has to be said, the 'excavations' of CK Croft Andrew we have a situation where all of the barrows/sites are either lost or mutilated. There are potentially eleven sites, four where materiel was found, three others, which are anybody's guess, and three where we were told non was found. We have three strongly identifiable groups, which have the same appearance and type.

Treligga Common is easily reached by the reasonably fit on foot. The area falls from over 200 metres at nearby Delabole to the 90 metres at Trelligga Common. The site of the common is on a piece of land separated by the sea on the West North West, the valley leading to Backways Cove on the North North East and the valley towards Treligga on the third and Easterly side. The last side is fairly flat until the area of Tregonick where the ground drops into the valley leading to Tregardock village.

The area holds much of interest, disused WW2 installations, airfield history, Bronze Age barrows and interesting flora and fauna.The easiest way to travel there is via the coastpath from Tregardock. Travelling from Trebarwith
strand from the opposite direction entails some very stiff climbs up Dennis and Start Points via Backways Cove. Though there are numerous farm and quarry remains to be seen en route at Backways. Parking at Tregardock village is usually OK as long as your visit coincides with low tide as Tregardock beach is popular with surfers and there is no dedicated parking available.

2005 May Stephen Redpath - Bergman

AKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Society of Antiquaries of London. The Antiquaries Journal
ADS Online
National Trust
English Heritage
The Royal Institute of Cornwall (Courtney Library) Wartime excavations by C K Croft Andrew 1939 -
1944 - Patricia M Christie 1985
Ordnance Survey Explorer 111, Online 2005, 1888
PERMISSION GIVEN BY AUTHOR FOR USE BY WIKIPEDIA
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