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Guide to Prehistoric and Medieval Sites in the County of Cornwall |
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The Arthurian Centre, Slaughterbridge, Camelford PL32 9TT The centre is located at Camlann, Slaughterbridge, near the medieval market town of Camelford (considered by some to be the site of Camelot) in North Cornwall, and set in 20 acres surrounding King Arthur's Stone. Both the inscribed stone and battle are dated by earliest stories to about 540 AD. Visitors can walk through the fields where King Arthur and Mordred met for their last battle. |
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Ballowall Barrow, Cam Gloose Lane, Cape Cornwall, near Lands End (English Heritage) In a spectacular cliff-edge position, this unique Bronze Age tomb had a long and complex history as a sacred site. The elongated main burial chamber is one of the largest in Penwith, and lies roughly central within the remains of a stony cairn spanning over 20 metres and containing two concentric inner dry stone walls. Around it are a number of stone chambers, known as cists, some of which Borlase found to contain funereal urn fragments in 1878. A further two rectangular burial pits forming a T shape complete the cluster. It was excavated in 1878 by Cornish antiquarian William Borlase. |
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 © Copyright Alan Simkins and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
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Bodrifty Iron Age Settlement, about 3¼ miles south of Zennor These are the remains of an Iron Age (600 BC - AD 43) settlement, consisting of the ruins of eight roundhouses within a low enclosing bank. Bodrifty is a complete village and fossilised farming system which has survived almost intact as its walls were made of granite. Most British roundhouses had walls of wood and mud of which only obscure traces remain. |
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Boscawen-Un is a Bronze Age stone circle of 19 upright stones in an eliptical shape, with a leaning stone near the centre. It is situated near St Buryan on the road from Penzance to Lands End. It is abiout 300 m from the road. It is the site where, in 1928, the Gorseth Kernow (Cornish Gorsedd) was established by Henry Jenner. The Gorseth Kernow was also held here in 1937, 1950 and 1978. The name comprises bod (farmstead) and scawen (old tree). The suffix of Un indicates a pasture. So the name Boscawen-Un translates as "the pasture of the farmstead at the old tree". The location of Boscawen-Un appears to have been carefully selected as it lies within view of The Merry Maidens stone circle and the two Pipers standing stones. In addition, it has rare (for this location) view of the sea. Eighteen of the stones in the circle are of grey granite with one stone, to the southwest, of quartz. This stone could signify the position of the full moon at the solstice. The central leaning stone points at the central stone at the Mên-an-Tol and the church at St Buryan. |
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Carn Euny Ancient Village, near Brane, just off the A30 between Drift and Lands End (English Heritage) Among the best preserved ancient villages in the south west, occupied from the Iron Age until late Roman times. It includes the foundations of stone houses, and an intriguing 'fogou' underground passage. |
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Chysauster Ancient Village, about 2 miles north of Penzance (English Heritage) This Iron Age settlement was originally occupied almost 2,000 years ago. The village consisted of stone-walled homesteads known as 'courtyard houses', found only on the Land's End peninsula and the Isles of Scilly. The houses line a 'village street', and each had an open central courtyard surrounded by a number of thatched rooms. There are also the remains of a 'fogou' underground passage. |
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Dupath Well, south-east of Callington (English Heritage) This well-house, built about 1500, that stands over an ancient spring, is believed to cure whooping cough. Built by the Augustinian canons of nearby St Germans priory, it houses the remains of an immersion pool for cure-seekers. Managed by the Cornwall Heritage Trust. |
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Halliggye Fogou, Trelowarren, on the Lizard peninsula between Mawgan and the Goonhilly Earth Station, near Helston (English Heritage) Roofed and walled in stone, this complex of passages is the largest and best-preserved of several mysterious underground tunnels associated with Cornish Iron Age settlements. The purpose of such 'fogous' - a Cornish-language word meaning 'cave' - is unknown. Refuges, storage chambers or ritual shrines have all been suggested. Managed by The Trelowarren Estate. Free entry to the fogou. Entry to the rest of the estate is charged. |
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Hurlers Stone Circles, north-west of Minions - about 3 miles north of Liskeard (English Heritage) Three fine late Neolithic or early Bronze Age stone circles arranged in a line, a grouping unique in England. Probably the best examples of ceremonial circles in the south west, they are traditionally reputed to be the remains of men petrified for playing 'hurling' on a Sunday. Managed by The Cornwall Heritage Trust. |
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King Doniert's Stone, north-west of St Cleer near Liskeard (English Heritage) Two richly carved pieces of a 9th century 'Celtic' cross, with an inscription commemorating Dumgarth, British King of Dumnonia, who drowned in c. AD 875. Managed by the Cornwall Heritage Trust |
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 © Copyright David Lally and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence. |
Obadiah's Barrow, on the west side of Kittern Hill on the island of Gugh, near St Agnes in the Isles of Scilly This is the only one of the neolithic burial chambers on Gugh to have a popular name. Obadiah Hicks a resident on the island in the 19th century is credited with its rediscovery. The chamber was subsequently excavated in 1901 and found to contain the remains of a contracted male skeleton and twelve cremation urns. |
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Penhallam Manor, about ¾ of a mile west of Week St Mary near Bude (English Heritage) A low and grass-covered but complete ground-plan of a moated 13th century manor house, in a delightful woodland setting. |
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St Breock Downs Monolith, Rosenannon (English Heritage) Originally 5 metres (16 feet) high and weighing some 16.75 tonnes, this is Cornwall's largest and heaviest prehistoric monolith. It stands on the summit of St Breock Downs, offering wonderful views. Managed by the Cornwall Heritage Trust. |
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Tregiffian Burial Chamber, about a mile south-east of St Buryan, near Penzance(English Heritage) A Neolithic or early Bronze Age chambered tomb with an entrance passage, walled and roofed with stone slabs, leading into the central chamber. Managed by the Cornwall Heritage Trust. |
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Trethevy Quoit, on the eastern edge of St Cleer village near Liskeard (English Heritage) This well-preserved and impressive Neolithic 'dolmen' burial chamber stands 2.7 metres (8.9 ft) high. There are five standing stones, surmounted by a huge capstone. Managed by the Cornwall Heritage Trust |
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