The fantastic ‘Hampshire Treasures’ resource gives the following info – “Round Barrow – SZ 278 999 – East of Set Thorns lnclosure. Overgrown. Centred on grid reference. Scheduled Ancient Monument no.193”. However it also has a “Bowl Barrow – SZ 279 998 – North east of Set Thorns lnclosure. 25.0m. diameter. ”
pure joy
The fantastic ‘Hampshire Treasures’ resource has surprisingly little info – just “Pudding Barrow. Near Stockley Cottage. Disturbed on east side”.
The fantastic ‘Hampshire Treasures’ resource gives the following info – “Money Hills, and Barrow Hill. – 4 barrows – A – Bowl Barrow. 24.0m. diameter and 1.2m. high. No ditch. B – Bell barrow 26.0m. diameter, height 2.5m. Surrounding ditch. C – Bell barrow 20.0m. diameter, 1.5m. high. Surrounding ditch. D – Not located. Scheduled Ancient Monument – No. 281”
Bronze Age barrows are locally called ‘Money Hills’ – probably a corruption of ‘many hills’.
Mentioned by Craig Weatherhill, in “Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall & Scilly” (Cornwall Books – 1985, revised 1997 & 2000) – “133m in diameter, this Iron Age fort consisted of four concentric lines of defence. The inner most, a stonewall, has almost vanished, leaving little more than foundations. The next is another thick wall, tumbled but still 1.8m high in places. It is interrupted on the south-east side by a late eighteenth-century folly, Roger’s Tower, built of stone from the castle walls. The third defence is a strong earth and stone bank; the outermost, another strong rampart of earth, reaches 2.3m in height, but exists only around the north-western half of the fort. Traces of an outer ditch can be see, but the position of the original entrance is not known. In the centre of the fort are three circular structures which, in the light of discoveries at Caer Bran, may either be Iron Age round houses or Bronze Age ring cairns.”
NB – Not to be confused with the other Castle-an-Dinas Hill Fort in the Restormel district of Cornwall.
Mentioned by Craig Weatherhill, in “Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall & Scilly” (Cornwall Books – 1985, revised 1997 & 2000) – “A large mound, 40m long, 10m wide and up to 2.2m high, with sides spread by ploughing. Its antiquity has yet to be proven, but it does not appear to be a tin streaming refuse mound, as some suspect. The south-western end of the mound has been truncated by a stream and a field wall.”
Mentioned by Craig Weatherhill, in “Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall & Scilly” (Cornwall Books – 1985, revised 1997 & 2000) – “This superb, unexcavated Iron Age/Romano-British village consist of three detached courtyard houses, a number of detached round houses, and an interlocking complex of round houses incorporating a fourth courtyard house and possibly the remains of a small above ground fogou. Walls still reach a height of 1.8m in places and the buildings are surrounded by a bewildering array of tiny contemporary fields and garden plots. The settlement is situated immediately beside a preserved stretch of the main prehistoric trackway of the peninsula, and is known to have extended to the northern side of the track. The only remains there are a stone-lined well and a stone hump which preserves part of a fifth courtyard house.”
Mentioned by Craig Weatherhill, in “Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall & Scilly” (Cornwall Books – 1985, revised 1997 & 2000) – “Two Iron Age ramparts and ditches cross this small headland, penetrated by a simple central entrance. The ditches are cut from solid rock and are from 0.7m to 2.1m deep, with the southern end of the outer ditch reaching a depth of 4.7m. The ramparts stand to a height of 2.0m. The fort’s interior area has been much reduced by coastal erosion, and no dwelling sites have been found”
Mentioned by Craig Weatherhill, in “Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall & Scilly” (Cornwall Books – 1985, revised 1997 & 2000) – “This Iron Age fort, 89m in diameter, is essentially univallate, but an outer defence occurs on the south-west side. The fort perches on the brink of a steep slope above a valley to the west. The defences are fairly well preserved, especially the main rampart which is from 1.6m to 2.3m high. The lowest stretch is on the north side where there are no longer any remains of the outer ditch. The interior of the fort was artificially cut into two distinct terreaces. The entrance faces south-west.”
Mentioned by Craig Weatherhill, in “Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall & Scilly” (Cornwall Books – 1985, revised 1997 & 2000) – “Kelly Rounds, or Castle Killibury, is a bivallate Iron Age hill fort 230m in diameter. The ramparts, each about 3.0m high externally, are widely spaced and fronted by ditches (often flooded) 1.8m deep. The north side of the fort is well preserved, but to the south of the lane the defences have been ploughed almost flat. The northern half of a rectangular annexe survives on the west side of the fort, the rest was obliterated by the building of the [Sandylands] farm. On the opposite side of the fort cropmarks and traces of two contiguous annexes have been detected. Excavations found the inner ditch to have been cut 2.8m into the bedrock. It also showed that the earliest occupation of the site was during the11 or 10th century BC. It is not known if this was before the defences were built. The fort has long been a leading candidate as the location of Arthur’s home fort of Kelliwic [along with Castle Canyke], but only two post-Roman sherds have been unearthed.”
Radio carbon dating has dated the hill fort occupation as between 400 and 100 BC. More carbon dating has dated a pre-hill fort occupation as between 1250 and 950 BC.
Mentioned by Craig Weatherhill, in “Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall & Scilly” (Cornwall Books – 1985, revised 1997 & 2000) as “a bivallate Iron Age fort with a small central enclosure 90m in overall diameter. It is closely surrounded on the south-east side by an ovoid outer work which bulges away on the north–west side so that the gap between them is as much as 24m. On the west side there is an incomplete annexe formed by a single bank and ditch. The inner rampart, up to 3.4m high, is encircled by a ditch 1.1m deep. The outer bank reaches a height of 3.0m and its ditch survives to a depth of 1.4m. The annexe is unusually strong, with an outer ditch 1.6m deep fronting a bank 3.1m high. The original entrance probably faced west, and is now utilized by the drive to Pencarrow House which penetrates to the centre of the fort and bends to pierce the southern defences. The fort has extensive outworks on all except the north-east side; these are set at a minimum distance of 200m from the outer rampart.”
In the absence of any other name I can find I’m going to call this the Albert Road Barrow. The Hampshire County Council website says that this bowl barrow is a Scheduled Ancient Monument (number 12158) – grid reference SU 8735 5463 – “Albert Road. Standing in what was formerly the grounds of Belvedere House. Average diameter 30.0 m. and 2.2 m. high with no visible ditch. Thickly overgrown with trees and bushes”
The Hampshire County Council website says “north east of the grounds of the prince Consort’s library. 20.0m in diameter and 1.0m high. Trees grow on the perimeter. Barrow mutilated to form band-stand in early 1890s in grounds of the newly built Barossa Barrracks (on site of original hutments). Barossa barracks demolished early 1960s.”
The Hampshire County Council website says “West of Skirmishing Hill, 3/4mile from Caesars Camp. 160 yds. long, 30 yds. wide and 4 yds. high. Resembles a long barrow with a flat top. Partly destroyed. Sandy track cuts through earthwork. Probable Iron Age Site.”
The Hampshire County Council website says that they are a Scheduled Ancient Monument – “Five bowl barrows situated at Heath Brow, east of the B3013. The group is sited in heath land among pine trees, bracken and heather”
The website also mentions occupation and finds in the area – “Many mesolithic implements found including scrapers, saws, long blades and two axes. Several other sites noted in the area, though some have been obliterated. Some finds in Willmer House Museum, Farnham.”
The Hampshire County Council website and the Rushmoor Borough Council website say that it is a Scheduled Ancient Monument (number 20185) – a large multivallate hillfort and later park pale at Caesar’s Camp – grid reference SU 8355 5006. Jubilee Clump is a Stone Age (mesolithic) area of the interior of Caesar’s Camp. Finds include cores, microliths and two tranchet axes. SU 837 502.
Mentioned by Craig Weatherhill, in “Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall & Scilly” (Cornwall Books – 1985, revised 1997 & 2000) – “Castle Goff is a small univallate Iron Age fort 80m in diameter. Its impressive earth rampart is 3.5m high; the outer ditch averages 0.8m deep. A simple entrance faces west, blocked by a modern field wall which utilizes the defences. At a later stage in the fort’s occupation an annexe was added on the west side. The bank which defines this reaches a height of 2.0m at one point, but ploughing has generally lowered it and filled the ditch.
To the north-west, at SX081830 and bisected by a track, is a univallate earthwork 150m in diameter. Known as The Rounds, or Delinuth Camp, its rampart has been ploughed away until it is no more than 0.6m high. Correspondingly, the ditch is very poorly defined. This site is now surrounded by modern field walls.”
Mentioned by Craig Weatherhill, in “Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall & Scilly” (Cornwall Books – 1985, revised 1997 & 2000) – “At 420m the summit of Brown Willy (the northern peak) is the highest point in Cornwall. On this northern peak is a Bronze Age stone cairn 25m across and 3.2m high, topped by a recent cairn and the Ordnance Survey triangulation pillar. To the south, half way along the hilltop ridge, is a second cairn 19m in diameter and 1.8m high.”
Mentioned by Craig Weatherhill, in “Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall & Scilly” (Cornwall Books – 1985, revised 1997 & 2000) – “Standing on a spur overlooking the junction of two valleys and the cove of Portreath, this roughly oval fort has diameters of 116m and 104m. It is essentially univallate with an earth rampart up to 1.8m high, but an outer bank 2.0m high, with a ditch 0.7m deep, protects the south-west side. A further, isolated stretch of this outer defence occurs to the north. The position of the entrance is unclear; it may have corresponded to a cattle track through the rampart on the east. A roughly rectangular area of slightly raised ground outside this gap possibly represents the remains of an annexe.”
Mentioned by Craig Weatherhill, in “Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall & Scilly” (Cornwall Books – 1985, revised 1997 & 2000) – “The Iron Age defensive work on this headland consists of a single massive rampart 4.0m high, with a simple entrance set east of centre. The outer ditch is somewhat silted up and now reaches a depth of only 0.6m.”
Mentioned by Craig Weatherhill, in “Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall & Scilly” (Cornwall Books – 1985, revised 1997 & 2000) – “The settlement is divided into two main groups of dwellings. The northern group has five detached round houses averaging 9m in diameter and standing on artificial terraces. Other huts may lie beneath the dense scrub. The southern group, 60m away, is clustered around a natural rock outcrop and consists of eight huts connected by an irregular ring wall. Bronze Age hearths and pottery – over 2,000 sherds – were found here, indicating that the Early Iron Age settlement is on a Middle Bronze Age site which seems to have been abandoned c.1000bc (1250 BC), then resettled in the Iron Age. Hut walls exist to a height of 0.5m.”
Mentioned by Craig Weatherhill, in “Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall & Scilly” (Cornwall Books – 1985, revised 1997 & 2000) – “The two concentric stone ramparts of this Iron Age fort are tumbled and dilapidated, damaged by past quarrying, yet they are still imposing. The fort is oval, 125m from north to south, by 109m. It is best preserved on the west side where the outer rampart reaches a height of 2.7m. A war memorial stands atop the inner rampart on this side. Parts of the outer ditch can still be traced, and an inturned entrance on the south-west may be original. There were formerly as many as twenty round houses inside the fort and some may still survive, virtually indistinguishable from the many small circular quarry pits which pock the central enclosure. Castle Pencaire may be the Loban Rath to which fifth and sixth century Irish missionaries are said to have fled under threat from the pagan King Teudar. It may also be the ker hyr (long fort) after which Kerrier is named.
On the north slope of the hill are two well preserved rounds. Both are oval, with diameters of about 90m and 80m, and are defined by single ramparts each of which reaches a height of 2.6m. The round at SW602303, north-east of the hill fort, has an outer ditch 2.4m deep, but its north side has suffered from ploughing. The other round at SW603300, is surrounding by a ditch up to 1.5m deep; two round houses are visible against the inside of the rampart in the north-west quadrant. Others have been traced, including a central hut recorded in 1932. A clearly traceable road, lined by low banks, runs from this round’s south-east facing entrance through the remarkable field system which covers this flank of the hill right up to the hill fort itself.”
There is a ‘Bushy Park History Room’ so if anyone wants to research the barrow maybe they could try here. It is staffed by volunteers, and located within White Lodge at the Stockyard. Visitors are welcome by prior appointment with the Park Office, White Lodge, The Stockyard
Bushy Park, Hampton Court Road, Hampton, TW12 2EJ. Tel: 020 8979 1586. Fax: 020 8941 8196. This info was taken from www.royalparks.gov.uk/bushy_events.htm
Mentioned by Craig Weatherhill, in “Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall & Scilly” (Cornwall Books – 1985, revised 1997 & 2000. “The extremely narrow neck of this fine headland is crossed by a deep, well-defined Iron Age ditch with a central entrance causeway. Only vestiges of the rampart remain. The summit of the strikingly conical headland, beyond the prehistoric defence, is crowned by the ruins of the medieval chapel of St Michael.”
Mentioned by Craig Weatherhill, in “Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall & Scilly” (Cornwall Books – 1985, revised 1997 & 2000 as a “nuclear cemetery of ten Bronze Age bowl barrows; the sites of more, destroyed by ploughing, have been detected from the air. The largest is 24m across, and their heights range from 0.3m to 1.5m. Some of the barrows were opened in 1830 and 1845 and yielded several important finds. These included urn cremations, one of which was accompanied by a locally made greenstone axe and an ogival bronze dagger. Another barrow contained a dagger of eastern Mediterranean, possibly Mycenaean, design, which was dated to 1400-1200bc (1710-1495BC). Traces of funeral pyres were also found beneath the barrows.”
Mentioned by Craig Weatherhill, in “Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall & Scilly” (Cornwall Books – 1985, revised 1997 & 2000. “This Iron Age fort, situated on a spur overlooking a deep valley to the north, was badly damaged by agriculture during the Second World War. Only its south-west half remains intact. Two concentric banks and ditches describe a circle 145m in overall diameter, with an entrance on the south-west. The north-eastern halves of these defences have been ploughed into a single spread bank 1.7m high. In contrast, the western ramparts reach a height of 4.3m. The west side of the fort is additionally defended by a third rampart and heavily counterscarped ditch which bulges out to form an annexe on the south-east, through which passes the entrance. 250m to the south, across the flattish neck of the hill spur, is an outwork formed by a single bank up to 2.8m high and a deep outer ditch. This terminates at the head of the steep slope on the east side, but on the west it returns in the direction of the fort.”
Mentioned by Craig Weatherhill, in “Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall & Scilly” (Cornwall Books – 1985, revised 1997 & 2000. “This Iron Age fort is built on a hillspur above the deep valley of the River Fowey. The triple ramparts and ditches surround an oval central enclosure 105m by 70m. The inner pair of defences, with ramparts up to 2.8m high, are concentric and pierced by a south—facing entrance. The outer rampart, which reaches height of 3.5m, is surrounded by a ditch that is counterscarped on the north side of the fort. The rampart bulges to form a southern annexe to the fort. This has two entrances: one facing south-east, the other south-west. To the south of the fort, crossing the base of the hillspur, is a series of discontinuous outworks including a small rectangular enclosure which may date from the Civil War.”
Mentioned by Craig Weatherhill, in “Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall & Scilly” (Cornwall Books – 1985, revised 1997 & 2000 as a “huge open settlement, probably Bronze Age, containing about 80 round houses within an area of 4 ha. The huts are between 5.0m and 11.0m in diameter, with walls up to 1.0m high and 1.6m thick. Most have south to south-east facing entrances, often with upright jambstones in place. Some of the hut entrances have stone-lined approaches, and many huts either adjoin others or are linked by lengths of low walling. Most, however, are free-standing. Evidence of field enclosures as fragmentary, but best seen to the south-east of the settlement.”
Mentioned by Craig Weatherhill, in “Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall & Scilly” (Cornwall Books – 1985, revised 1997 & 2000). “The main enclosure is rectilinear, 110m from north to south, by 82m, and consists of a tumbled, unditched stone and earth bank up to 1.5m high. It incorporates natural rock outcrops. Within the enclosure are the remains of 8 round houses; a ninth lies just outside the north wall. These are between 8.0m and 14.0m in diameter, and most have south-east facing entrances. The southern side of the enclosure utilizes a natural rocky scarp to form a double defence pierced by an inturned entrance. A hollow way leads from this entrance through an incomplete annexe attached to the southern side of the enclosure. This is bounded by a stone and earth bank up to 1.0m high; its west side is missing. The enclosure is thought to be Bronze Age, but may even have Neolithic origins.”
Mentioned by Craig Weatherhill, in “Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall & Scilly” (Cornwall Books – 1985, revised 1997 & 2000) – “This massive cairn occupies a prominent ridge-top position. Built entirely of stone, it is 33.0m high and 20m in diameter. Its center is mutilated and cratered due to past tomb-rifling and stone-robbing. Nothing is known of the cairn’s contents.”
Mentioned by Craig Weatherhill, in “Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall & Scilly” (Cornwall Books – 1985, revised 1997 & 2000) – “The neck of this prominent headland displays two Iron Age ramparts with an intermediate ditch. The outer bank, best preserved on the northern side of the headlands, is 1.1m high. The inner is more massive, reaching a height of 2.7m, and is revetted with stone. A simple central entrance pierces both defences. No occupation sites have yet been noted.”
Mentioned by Craig Weatherhill, in “Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall & Scilly” (Cornwall Books – 1985, revised 1997 & 2000) as “A small settlement on a west-facing slope, within easy reach of a stream. The fragmented remains of a rectangular field, covering about 0.8ha, can be traced, in the north-west corner of which is an oval pound containing the remains of four round houses, one of which is badly mutilated. The walls of the field, pound and huts are no more than 0.5m high, but some of the huts still retain their upright doorjambs. Much of the surrounding area is heavily overgrown and it is possible that further huts and fields await discovery. The settlement probably dates from the Iron Age, although a Bronze Age celt was found close by.”
Mentioned by Craig Weatherhill, in “Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall & Scilly” (Cornwall Books – 1985, revised 1997 & 2000) as a “fine stone…situated just below the summit of Prospidnick Hill, on the east side of the lane, and stands 3.0m high. Like so many other Bronze Age menhirs, it is known locally as ‘The Longstone’.”
I found a this on the web.....“This was excavated in the early part of the 20th century and signs found of a cremation that had taken place thousands of years before, There were signs also of an excavation that is believed to have been made during the 18th century, during a search for iron ore; and certainly the parallel trenches which cut across the common were also made in the search for iron.”
In a stroke of genius I booked another week in Cornwall for the week the clocks change, and a week of stunning weather! It is early April and Bodmin Moor is tinder dry. Just before I arrived there had been several small fires in North Cornwall nd the day I left there was a large gorse fire at the other end of Cornwall (on the Lizard peninsula).
I stopped off in Dartmoor on the way, the sun was blazing and Fernworthy forest was so peaceful. Although it’s usually only the circle that is talked about Fernworthy is one of these ‘complexs’ with a stone circle , two cairns and cairn circles, two stone rows, and possible others. I was so taken in that I began to think I was an archaeologist for a day and soon I will have to unleash diagrams onto this fantastic TMA site! The south side of the forest also has a stone row. And a brisk walk onto the moor brings you to the Greywethers, a restored and stunning double circle. I also tried to find the Heath Stone on the way out. Does visiting ancient sites get much better than today?
On Sunday I went to the St Breock Downs area, checking out the St Breock Wind Farm Barrow, the colossal Men Gurta Menhir, and peering at the St. Breock Downs Menhir. I then moved south to the China Clay country (sounds like a theme park) to find the moved Menevagar / Roche Longstone and the huge Hensbarrow – this is the highest natural point in the area and the views back across the valley are stunning, with the St Breock Downs wind farm clearly visible. However, if you ignore the nice bit of the view you could just as easily think you are sitting on the moon as the clay works surround you. To round off a pretty lazy day I visited the two sites closest to where I was staying – Headon Barrow and Warbstow Bury, the later being quite stunning and the best-preserved hill slope fort in Cornwall.
On Monday I pleasured myself (steady on!) with a trip to the St.Austell Brewery – staustellbrewery.co.uk – and onto Mevagissey for sarnies on the harbour. I had forgotten my maps so instead of heading off for some yomping on Bodmin Moor I had to pull Plan B out, which was a visit to The County Museum in Truro – royalcornwallmuseum.org.uk – I knew that the famed cup marked stone from the Tregiffian Burial Chamber was there, as was a copy of the Rillaton Cup, and other things. There is a huge amount to see and as they are a registered charity it is £4 well spent (and please fill out a Gift Aid form, so they can reclaim your tax!)
Tuesday led me on a huge barrow hunt, including the massive Tich Barrow, one of the Starapark Barrows, the Advent Triple Barrow (a rarity), and the Crowdy Reservoir Barrow and then several wind swept hours in the Roughtor area, including the Showery Tor ring cairn and cheesewring, and the Showery Tor Embanked Avenue, the Showery Tor Downs Cairn, Roughtor Slopes Cairn and three possible standing stones in the area. In an action packed day I also went to the fascinating King Arthur’s Hall, , the nearby King Arthur’s Downs Stone Circles, the Casehill Cairn, and explored around the area; expect a diagram soon! On the way home I had a quick stop at Helsbury Castle.
Like it or loathe it I thought The Museum of Witchcraft – museumofwitchcraft.com – was worth a visit so the next day I went to see it in Boscastle’s picturesque harbour. I was glad to see the Museum asking people not to have fires, leave rubbish or ‘inappropriate offerings’ at ancient sites. Later I visited three great cliff castle’s close by – Willabury Cliff Castle (Boscastle) plus the fascinating ‘stitch’ system of agriculture on Forrabury Common, Willabury Cliff Castle (Tintagel), and Tintagel itself. I also saw the curious Rocky Valley Rock Carvings but I’m even less convinced now. I had a quick search for Ugworthy Barrows (actually over the border in Devon) and the rare Woolley Long Barrow.
I really don’t seem to have got the hang of these ‘holidays’ have I? Not much resting going on, so I only went out on the moors late on Thursday, and spent some of Friday re-reading one of favourite books on the beach at Crackington Haven (‘Life and Times of Michael K’ by J.M.Coetzee if anyone is interested).
So several hours on Thursday were spent on Fox Tor & East Moor and in the Leskernick area of Bodmin Moor. Two totally different environments in one way (the former gorsey and brown, the later green but scarred and pitted like the moon) separated by the A30 but both full of ancient sites, and continued finds. East Moor includes the Fox Tor Stone Row (apparently), the East Moor Stone Row, and possible Menhir / Stone setting, and the Nine Stones of Altarnun. The Leskernick area is still being explored and new things still being found. My few hours included Leskernick Stone Row, a cairn near the stone row, Leskernick Stone Circel (Northern), Leskernick Stone Circle (South), the Leskernick ‘Quoit’, the Cairns on the summit of The Beacon, and a possible Kerbed Cairn and Barrow Cemetery on The Beacon
I first saw the quoit mentioned in the Cornwall Archaeological Unit’s Review of 1995-6, which had an article called ‘Leskernick Summer Solstice Alignment’ that reported “an arrangement of stones, at first sight a natural feature, on a small tor over looking the moorland River Fowey and with beautiful views across to brown Willy and Roughtor, was on closer inspection shown to be a created feature. It was first recognised by Peter Herring and Tony Blackman on a field trip in April 1995. On the same field trip a long mound was found nearly a kilometre away on Beacon Hill (SX19037955). Both features had an early prehistoric feel, one like a ‘quoit’, the other like a long cairn. It was suddenly noticed that the long mound’s axis pointed towards the quoit which was now a skyline feature on Leskernick Hill. Furthermore the alignment was noted by Chris Riding to be at roughly 315o, close to the summer solstice sunset.
A group of people consequently gathered at the long mound on the 21st June when the sky was fortunately clear and saw the sun set just to the east of the quoit. At first disappointed, the group then realised that the error might be chronologically significant, in that the world’s wobbling may have been its cause.
The two sites were then accurately mapped (to within a few centimetres) using an Electronic Distance Meter…. Their results were passed to Bernard Yallop, Superintendent of her Majesty’s Nautical Almanac Office who was able to calculate when the two sites would have been aligned with the summer solstice sunset. He offered three dates, depending on whether people were viewing the top, middle or bottom of the setting sun, of 1400 BC, 3687 BC or 7627 BC respectively.
Clearly the middle of the sun, 3687 BC, or Early Neolithic, fits most neatly with the shapes of the monuments.
It was clear that other prehistoric features were set up in relation to both the alignment (a stone circle and a barrow are on the line, between the long mound and the quoit) and the quoit (a fine hut settlement in dense clitter on Leskernick’s western slopes appears to refer to the quoit which is the dominant skyline feature above it).
A team from University College, London is currently carrying out research on and around Leskernick, examining how prehistoric people perceived and reacted to the natural and created landscape. Led by Chris Tilley, Barbara Bender and Sue Hamilton, it promises to add considerably to our knowledge and thinking about this important landscape. The newly discovered quoit and long mound and their significant alignment demonstrate that much of significance awaits discovery”
If you fancy buying a copy of the Cornwall Archaeological Unit’s Review of 1995-6, called ‘Archaeology Alive No 4’, check out the CAU’s website, which I added a while ago on the ‘Links’ page. It is currently being flogged off cheap at £1.
Mentioned by Craig Weatherhill, in “Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall & Scilly” (Cornwall Books – 1985, revised 1997 & 2000) as “curiously positioned on the side of a steep valley which has been cut and filled artificially to accommodate it. The central enclosure measures 55m by 45m internally, and has a south-facing entrance. The uphill side of the enclosure is protected by a bank 2,.0m high, with an outer ditch 2.5m deep. The ploughed remains of two outworks, one topped by a modern wall, lie beyond. The west side of the onclosure, formed by fill, falls away as a scarp at least 8m high. No occupation sites are visible. Locally called the Ringaround”.
This is what Craig Weatherhill says about the barrow in “Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall & Scilly” (Cornwall Books – 1985, revised 1997 & 2000). “An excellent Bronze Age bowl barrow stands on a hilltop 300m above sea level. 26m across and 2.8m high, it is surrounded by traces of a wide ditch which has suffered from ploughing. An Ordnance Survey triangulation pillar stands on top of the barrow. The name ‘Condolden’ is derived from the Cornish ‘godolghyn’ (tump – a steep-sided mound); the alternative name, Cadon Barrow, is merely a contraction of Condolden.”
It is believed that the stone used to be used to make proclamations from. Also in 1450 when Jack Cade, leader of a rebellion against Henry VI entered the city he reputedly struck it with his sword and said, “Now is Mortimer [the name Cade had assumed] Lord of this City”.
When the Northern most barrow was excavated in 1928 a crouched female skeleton with a late Neolithic knife at her shoulder was found. In Saxon times about 30 bodies were buried here, hands behind their backs, and people hung on the gallows were also buried here later.
Entrance is an absolute snip at 2 quid for adults. This is a really impressive place steeped in history all the way from the Iron Age to the political ‘rotten boroughs’ dealt with in the Reform Act of 1832.
Stonehenge, Old Sarum, Salisbury Cathedral and Clearbury Ring Hillfort are part of what is often considered one of the ‘best’ leylines. The latter three are often shown clearly in photographs.
When this Iron Age hillfort was excavated four human burials and 14 red deer antlers were apparently found, which seems slightly unusual.
Craig Weatherhill’s ‘Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall and Scilly’ (1985, revised 1997 & 2000) gives this info – “This great pillar stone, 2.7m high and set on a modern plinth, was formerly called the long stone. Originally it stood closer to Castle Dore, 2 miles to the North. High on the back of the stone is a Tau cross, carved in relief; on the front, running vertically down the stone, is a two line inscription interpreted as ‘Drustanus Hic Lacit Cunomori Filius’ (Drustanus lies here, son of Cunomorus). This has been dated to the sixth century AD. The two names have been equated with the famous Tristan and King Mark of Cornwall; indeed, a ninth century manuscript speaks of ‘Marcus, also named Qunonomorius’ who ruled over both the British and Breton regions of Dumnonia and Domnoneee. Unfortunately, the first name of the inscription is now almost ineligible”
On the top of the hill is a small prehistoric fort, together with around 160 depressions which were Neolithic flint mines; here, the locals believed, was the last home in England of the fairies, who left when the mines were excavated early this century (see Rhiannon’s post above). Interestingly, in the tunnels the excavators found soot from the miners’ lamps on the walls and roofs, and scratch marks which may have been records of the amounts of flint they had removed. This all dates back 4-6,000 years.
As at Harrow Hill excavations produced some fascinating underground galleries and tunnels which may have given rise to the tradition of an underground passage. Antler picks found in the tunnels have been dated to around 3500 BC. The mines predated the Iron Age hillfort by over 300 years.
The Cornwall Archaeological Unit’s Review of 1995-6 reported that the Iron Age hillfort of Caer Bran was the most prominent feature within an 18 hectare area surveyed for Penwith District Council to provide information for a Countryside Stewardship Scheme. The new survey is said to have “produced some exciting and unexpected results . What had always been tentatively described as a central roundhouse, cut by a later post-medieval track, is now interpreted as one of three probably Bronze Age ring cairns, possibly within their own contemporary, banked enclosure”
When do vandals help us discover that a ‘perfect‘ stone circle was not so perfect after all……
There is an important news item about the Merry Maidens stone circle in the Cornwall Archaeological Unit’s Review of 1995-6, which comments “The Merry Maidens (SW433245) is one of the best preserved and probably the best known stone circle in Cornwall. It came as a shock then, in June 1995, when Mike Rosendale of Penwith District Council reported that the circle had been vandalised; one of the stones had been uprooted and left prostrate on the ground. Before the stone was re-erected the stone hole was excavated by Charlie Johns and Andy Jones of the CAU. They made the surprising discovery that the stone had originally been set at right-angles to the circle and that when restored in the 19th Century it had been turned through 90degrees and placed in line with the circle. On this occasion the stone was set up again as it had been before vandalism. It was re-erected by Andrew Marment and Marcel Deigan, under the supervision of Mike Rosendale, on the occasion of a visit to Cornwall by English Heritage inspectors and Field Monument Wardens form southern England”.
If you fancy buying a copy of the Cornwall Archaeological Unit’s Review of 1995-6, called ‘Archaeology Alive No 4’, check out the CAU’s website, which I’ve added on the ‘Links’ page. It is currently being flogged off cheap at £1. No more info on the Merry Maidens, except for a picture or grubby men re-setting the stone, but a good read in general. The CAU also do lots of other interesting publications, and all in all they seem like real dudes.
This longstone apparently has 5 crosses carved on it, one on the top and one on each side. This was presumably done to Christianise the stone.
Julian mentions this as part of his text on Mulfra Quoit, on page 165 of The Modern Antiquarian. He says that “for it is here that we have a clear view south to St. Michael’s Mount, known to the Ancient Greeks as Iktis. And it was to Iktis that the great Greek sea captain Pytheus came in 325 BCE, searching for the legendary tin islands that the Greeks called the Cassiterides.”
‘Bodmin Moor’s Archaelogical Heritage’ by Peter Herring and Peter Rose (Cornwall Archaelogical Unit – 2001), says that “Hundreds of flint tools, including tiny microliths, have been found on the shores of this tarn like lake, a focal point of mesolithic hunting and gathering activity on the Moor”
There is an interesting news item about Bury Down Fort in the Cornwall Archaeological Unit’s Review of 1995-6, which comments “Bury Down Fort in Lanreath (SX188594) is an excellent example of an Iron Age hillslope fort. The inner rampart is particularly well preserved except in one section where stock erosion had created a bare, vertical scar over 10 metres long. Increase gorse growth was also a problem in places. The owners, the Tamblyns of Botelet, were very sympathetic to proposals to repair the erosion and so in September 1995 a team from the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers spent a week on Bury Down, cutting scrub and re-forming the eroded rampart. A timber revetment was constructed, to retain the soil filled sandbags which were used to fill the scar. Soil laid over the top of the sand bags was held in place with geojute mating and the whole thing finally turfed over”.
If you fancy buying a copy of the Cornwall Archaeological Unit’s Review of 1995-6, called ‘Archaeology Alive No 4’, check out the CAU’s website, which I’ve added on the ‘Links’ page. It is currently being flogged off cheap at £1. No more info on this hill fort, except for a picture taken during the restoration, but a good read in general. The CAU also do lots of other interesting publications, and all in all they seem like real dudes.