thesweetcheat

Attempted visit 29 June 2023.

After missing this one the previous week due to the excitement of Higher Boden Fogou, we opt to come here and then walk down to lovely Coverack on the coast.

Unfortunately the best laid plans, etc...

We decide to approach from the southwest. The footpath initially runs along the edge of a back garden, the owner of which seems have done their best to pretend there’s no path, then it’s over a stile into a large field.

We’re almost across the field when two horses gallop over. One of them is clearly very unhappy with our presence, rearing and stamping, and dangerously close with its flailing hooves. After passing a very large recumbent slab set into the ground surface (which looks interesting) we make a hasty exit over the next stile, which leads into a short section of an old enclosed lane. We stop here to calm our racing pulses, relieved to have escaped from the horse.

The short section of lane leads to the field with the long stone. A helpful sign board informs us that the whole field has been granted permissive access, which is excellent news. Over the stile, we’re about halfway to the stone when a rumbling noise announces a herd of horned bullocks, thundering towards us in a manner that suggests trouble. We’re forced to retreat back into the enclosed lane.

There are only two exits. The hedges on either side are impenetrable. It’s either Death by Horse, or Death by Bullock. A sense of panic sets in. We conclude that the bullocks are unlikely to intend harm, but could very easily squash us flat anyway. Whereas the unhappy horse is clearly in Attack Mode. We faff about, very uncertain what to do. Eventually we head back to the stile into the horses’ field, and the horses seem to have moved away. By virtue of the layout of the field, it might be possible to sidle over the stile and skirt around the edge of the field without being in their eyeline, but it’s risky as they can clearly run much faster than us. Running out of options, we go for this and get around their field as quickly as we can. Luckily the horses stay out of sight from us and we emerge unscathed but very shaken by the experience.

It’s a shame, because the stone looks excellent. Maybe we’ll try again in the future, but I’m not going to get stuck in the Lane of Dilemma again!

Visited 27 June 2023.

After meeting up with family in Padstow, G/F and I head across the River Camel on the ferry to Rock. I’d last done this 30+ years ago, when I visited St Enodoc Church, probably best known for the grave of John Betjeman in the churchyard.

Today we follow the coast path, along and over sand dunes above the river estuary. The views are fine, towards the mouth of the Camel and Stepper Point with its prominent chimney. That side of the river is where I spent most of my summer holidays in my teens, often walking along the coast path with a Walkman for company while my cousins went surfing.

At the bottom of the hill, the path narrows between banks of brambles and G/F decides to forego the climb to the top so I’m on my own. It’s short but steep, but it’s only a few minutes before I’m face to face with the westernmost of the four barrows on the top of the hill. The barrows are in a linear group, curving in a northwards arc in the middle.

The westernmost barrow has the best views of the coast, but it’s quite badly reduced in height, and its shape shows the effects of digging. The second barrow is the best-preserved of the group, a fine monument covered in turf which nevertheless reveals some stone protruding on the top. Although they look like earthen barrows they’re more likely to be stone cairns under the top-covering. The third barrow is the smallest of the group and easily missed amongst the others. At the far end of the group, the fourth barrow is the largest but the most badly damaged. There’s much more exposed stone visible in this one, as well as big crater in its top; according to the HER it was converted into a lookout post at some point, although that’s thankfully gone now.

It’s a fine little summit to climb on a summer’s day. The hill is prominent above the surroundings on all sides, so the views in all directions are extensive despite the modest height.

I head off down the steep east side of the hill, which gives a good aerial view of St Enodoc’s church, before completing the circuit and rejoining G/F for the easy walk back to Rock.

Visited 23 June 2023.

After leaving Roskruge Beacon, we headed northwest along more winding lanes past the imposing gates of Roskruge Barton. A footpath leads across a ploughed field, thankfully bone dry after a prolonged dry spell, up a gentle slope towards the site of the fogou.

I was completely unaware of either the Time Team dig here, or the ongoing excavations, so was really just hoping for some kind of glimpse of something in the corner of the field. Instead, we arrive to an active site, with two archaeologists (Peter Seabrook and David Clifton of the Meneage Archaeology Group) braving the baking heat to uncover yet more of this amazing site.

With no prompting, we get invited onto the site to see what they’re working on, and are given access to both the exposed main passage and also the scaffolding-propped tunnel to the west. It’s really impressive. The main passage is roofless but otherwise very well-preserved. It has a very unusual right-angled bend in it, beyond which a surviving lintel stone lies fallen across the passageway. The partly dug tunnel off to the west appears to be rock- or rab-cut. Back on ground level, we’re shown the tantalising end of another blocked tunnel and void to the north of the main passage. This apparently is a second rab-cut passage running from the fogou to the outer enclosure ditch and is likely to have been the ‘artificial cave’ reported by the Rev Polwhele in 1803. The Iron Age enclosure ditch is currently filled in, but was itself very deep and enclosed the whole fogou site. It’s terrific to see this second passage in the process of being encovered.

Peter shows us some of the pottery finds from the site. What a brilliant stroke of luck to find the site being worked on and to get such a great reception.

We’re pointed off in the general direction of the settlement site to the northwest. Much of this is unworked, with only some shallow trenches in place. We’re asked to stay out of the dig site, which we readily agree to. From here we carry on northwest along the footpath, which promptly vanishes and leaves us to improvise an exit from the next field.

I had intended to visit the Tremenhere standing stone today, but time at the fogou means that we no longer have long enough to get there before the infrequent bus back to Helston. It can wait for another day, this has been more than enough reward for the little effort involved in our visit.

Postscript: Since our visit in June 2023, the rock-cut northern tunnel has been fully dug out, and the fallen lintel stone we saw in the bottom of the main passage has now been lifted back into place (see link to video).