Ertach Kernow - Cornwall’s heritage sites preserved and protected
Cornwall Heritage Trust (CHT) is one of Cornwall’s finest heritage organisations which I unashamedly plug in this series of Ertach Kernow articles on the website and social media. This year it marks its 40th anniversary. CHT was the first group covered in an early Ertach Kernow Truro Voice article back in July 2020 just when we were breaking out from the first pandemic lockdown. Although occasional sites have been mentioned over the following years a lot has happened and CHT has added to the number of places it now works to protect.
With spring fast approaching so does the tourist season with the early months perhaps the most enjoyable for local people. Businesses are reopening and events and activities to entertain beginning and not yet too busy. As I write the sun is shining and the weather app on my mobile shows pretty good weather over the next week and longer. Time to start getting out and about and enjoy Cornwall whilst we can with the CHT sites a good place to start looking at some of Cornwall’s physical heritage.
There are currently sixteen sites protected by CHT ranging from small buildings to much larger areas of land containing hill forts. Cornwall has a multitude of holy wells, some impressive structures others just the beginnings of a small stream. The largest and most notable is Dupath Well located in east Cornwall near Callington and thought to have been built in 1510 with typical architecture for this period. Constructed totally of local granite the roof is steeply pitched assembled with courses of slabs running the length of the building. It has a small bell turret an elaborate entrance canopy and corner pinnacles, so overall quite an extravagant structure. It is large for a Cornish holy well measuring nearly 13 feet by 12 feet with an immersion pool in which a person could bathe.
As always click the images for larger view
Not far away is a cluster of sites that includes King Doniert’s Stone, Trethevy Quoit, The Hurlers and St Cleer Holy Well and Cross. For those wanting to enjoy sunny weather on a low cost ‘heritage day’ out this part of Cornwall has much to offer. The 9th century King Doniert’s Stone along with what is known as the ‘Other Half Stone’ is in an area donated by the Glencross family and arranged by Liskeard Old Cornwall Society. The stone bears an inscription which translates as ‘Doniert begs prayers for the sake of his soul’. This small site has a convenient small parking pull in and in the spring is lovely with daffodils adding to its colour.
The awesome Trethevy Quoit is one of the finest portal dolmen burial chambers in Britain yet alone Cornwall. With the field placed for sale in 2016 Trethevy Quoit was added to the at-risk register. Intervention by CHT in buying the field saw it removed from being at-risk in 2019 when excavations also took place, these overseen by Cornwall Archaeological Unit. The discovery of a sub-soil greenstone platform laid as part of the dolman’s original construction added to knowledge about our Neolithic predecessors over 5,000 years ago. Having taken young people to Trethevy Quoit on a number of occasions I know how awe struck they are on seeing it.
St Cleer Holy Well is classified as a Grade I listed building, also a Scheduled Monument and dates from the early 16th century. Sadly by around 1700 it had become ruinous but in 1865 the restoration by celebrated Liskeard architect Henry Rice had brought it back to its late medieval glory. This is the only holy well of this design in Cornwall with an open-porch with pillars, arches and capitals carved with simple mouldings and patterns. Acquired to the CHT portfolio in 2022 it was removed from the Historic England at risk register the following year. However, inspection by Ann Preston-Jones of Historic England showed the roof although appearing to be sound was eroded. Fund raising allowed necessary maintenance to be organised by CHT which is now complete.
There is good parking at Minions on the south-east side of Bodmin Moor just outside the village which allows an easy opportunity to visit The Hurlers triple stone circles. On a sunny day this is an interesting part of Bodmin Moor to visit with some lovely views. The stone circles themselves have the legend of men hurling on the sabbath being turned to stone by an irate Celtic saint. The central circle is the best preserved, sadly stone robbing has depleted the number of surviving stones, but this has 14 with 14 makers showing positions of the original stones. This site was drawn and described by John Norden during his topographical visit to Cornwall in the late 16th century. Walking further on there are a number of industrial remains including the South Phoenix mine’s Houseman’s Engine House, closed since the start of the pandemic. This building was a free to enter heritage centre and the CHT is now working with Cornwall Council to assess the reopening of this valuable facility. Of course one of the must-see places, although not a CHT site, is the incredible wind sculpted Cheesewring on Stowe’s Hill and the nearby Stowe’s Pound a Neolithic boundary wall built around 5,000 years ago. This contains two Bronze Age cairns, remains of a stone round house with over 100 house platforms. From the top of Stowe’s Hill, Bodmin Moor’s fourth highest tor, there are terrific views over the moor.
Closer to Cornwall’s southern coast are two recent additions to the portfolio of locations protected by the CHT. The Lammana Chapel site was taken into care by CHT in 2023 and had previously seen archaeological excavations by The ITV television led ‘Time Team’ in 2008 and in the 1930’s by renowned archaeologist C.K. Croft Andrew. The investigations showed this area has seen habitation back to at least Roman times, but by the 12th century Lammana Manor was under the ownership of Glastonbury Abbey who built or possibly rebuilt the chapel there. The chapel was in use until the ‘Dissolution of the Monasteries’ in the 16th century when it fell into disrepair and gradually almost vanished by the early 19th century.
The second close by area coming under the protection of CHT, who manage the site for the Duchy of Cornwall, is the delightful Duloe Stone Circle. This is Cornwall’s smallest stone circle but also has the largest stones of up to nearly eight feet tall weighing in at around 9 tons. Constructed in the Bronze Age ranging between 2500BCE and 810BCE it is unique amongst Cornwall’s circular monuments in using white quartz stones. Work done on the circle in 1858 saw the removal of a hedge bisecting the circle and re-erection of three stones resulting in discovery of human cremated remains. Having visited this site twice the Duloe images are used as the header for the Ertach Kernow YouTube Channel. Nearby just six minutes’ drive away is St Keynes Holy Well maintained by Liskeard Old Cornwall Society.
Whilst travelling around the various CHT sites I always try to take an opportunity to look out for other spots or buildings of interest. Often I stop by an ancient bridge or wayside cross to inspect and grab a photo and later research them to find out more. It quite astounds me when giving talks to learn so many Cornish people have never visited most of these places around Cornwall, especially when often just a few miles from their homes. Perhaps its one of those things to be done drekly.
Education is vital to helping cultivate interest in Cornwall’s heritage and CHT besides protection of sites also supports culture, including the Cornish language through educational activities. Illustrating the work being done by the Cornwall Heritage Trust in encouraging young people to take an interest in Cornish heritage is their ‘Grants for Primary School Transport’ scheme. Creating curiosity and awareness through site visits will often provide a child a lifetime of appreciation for Cornish heritage. I remember my school visit made to Chysauster Ancient Village when aged eight. This perhaps left a smouldering interest in Cornwall’s heritage that burst into flame years later leading to this series of Ertach Kernow articles and many other Cornish heritage projects. If only this scheme was available all those years ago maybe far more Cornish people would have benefited and learned more about our heritage.
An endorsement by The Heritage Journal on Cornwall Heritage Trust is well worth a mention. They write ‘it (CHT) continues to grow in stature in Cornwall and is far more principled than other heritage bodies which place profit and the ‘Disneyfication’ of Cornwall’s unique heritage over and above care for the monuments.’ I think many Cornish folk would agree with that in regard to some of our most precious sites being over developed for tourism.
For those interested in a wide range of Cornish heritage locations to visit mid-Cornwall and the western parts of Penwith offer much more to see, but as often happens these will need to wait for a later article. But finally a reminder of a message I have shared on a number of occasions regarding membership of the Cornwall Heritage Trust. Not only are supporters helping preserve Cornish heritage sites, but they are also benefiting themselves. There are regular emailed newsletters an annual journal and perhaps most importantly membership allows entry to a number of English Heritage sites free of charge. This includes some of Cornwall’s historic castles, including Tintagel, and many other locations as well as discounts for entry at other museums and places of interest.
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