Ertach Kernow - Preserving our national landscape monuments
Cornish weather can be a mixed blessing but I like to think we live in a Goldilocks zone, not too hot or cold nor too dry or wet. With the shortest day of the year behind us we can look forward to the Spring and the bounties the Cornish countryside offer us. Despite the horrors of unwanted development here in Cornwall, rather than that needed for our local people Cornish folk are fortunate that there is a good range of areas beyond the growing urban sprawl to enjoy. As days grow lighter and the temperatures rise Spring days will hopefully encourage folk to get out and enjoy some of Cornwall’s wider environmental delights.
Besides our wonderful coastline we have twelve Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) as well as Sites of Special Scientific Interests (SSSI) which has aims to conserve the areas wildlife, geology, or other natural features. The AONB’s are mostly along areas of the Cornish coastline, also including Bodmin Moor. These largely falls under the organisational grouping Cornwall National Landscape (CNL) and its trustees. There are twenty-two partners which make up the Cornwall National Landscape organisation which aims to collaborate in delivering the Cornwall National Landscape (AONB) Management Plan. The partners include Cornwall Council, Cornwall Heritage Trust, Cornish Mining World Heritage, Cornwall Wildlife Trust, Cornwall Rural Community Charity and other Cornish groups as well as many other cross border organisations. Cornwall National Landscape also provide advice to Cornwall Council on planning and development issues.
As always click the images for larger view
A couple of AONB’s have already been covered in previous articles and this time take an overview of one aspect of the work being carried out by Cornwall National Landscape relating to Cornish historic monuments. Iain Rowe is the Activities Officer for CNL and is lead in the ‘Monumental Improvement Project’. The focus of this project is to engage with the local communities especially where monuments are classified as ‘at risk’ with an aim to accurately record and preserve them. Cornwall has over 1,400 monuments of various types and an important part of our Cornish historical heritage.
Forty sites were chosen from across ten of the twelve AONB’s some of which are well-known, in fact of Cornish national importance, namely St Piran’s Oratory. The recent work, mentioned previously in our previous ‘Heritage at Risk’ article, on King Arthur’s Seat on Bodmin Moor is also part of this project. The work here resulted in national and international interest due to its far earlier construction. Castle Dore and Kilkhampton Castles are also two sites, both now removed from the Historic England at risk register, and part of this project and mentioned in the earlier article. Other hill forts included are Veryan Castle, Bottreaux Castle and Stowe Hill Fort which has seen Past cultural vandalism. Perhaps less obvious to those who may be unaware are a number of cliff castles included within the project. Recording these is important as some are increasingly in danger of cliff erosion and will in time be lost to the sea.
Some of these cliff castles are designated promontory forts as they are located on headlands with the sea surrounding most of the fortifications. Black Head Cliff Castle near St Austell just off the coastal footpath on National Trust land. In section two between Pentire Point and Widemouth Bay is St Genny’s Cliff Castle along with the better-known Rumps Cliff Castle. Further down the coast between Carnewas and Stepper Point are Winecove Cliff Castle and Redcliffe Cliffe Castle. Number six section which covers the coastline between Godrevy and Portreath has the remains of Carvannel or as sometimes known Crane Cliff Castle. Right on the edge of the cliff this is one of those that will no doubt be lost as cliff erosion takes its toll. That sites such as this are recorded is important to provide some context to life many thousands of years ago. The shape of the remaining ditch and ramparts along with the sea stack gives some indication of the ground lost to the ocean over the past four thousand years or so. On Cornwall’s southern coast Gunwalloe Cliff Castle in section eight lies just to the west of the historic church of St Winwaloe with its detached tower at Church Cove. Close to the edge of a cliff this promontory fort as with many others in similar locations faces danger from erosion. One can only hope that this project will create a record for the future.
Not so ancient are the redoubts on the Rame Peninsula. Due to potential invasion from France, through the importance of Plymouth as a naval base, by 1782 five emplacements had been constructed and armed with guns. Further building included the stone facing and by 1800 barrack blocks built. Following the French defeat at Waterloo the five redoubts were decommissioned although number 4 was recommissioned in the 1850’s as part of the governments refortification around the coast, often known as Palmerston Forts after the then Prime Minister. These form an important part of Cornwall’s defensive heritage along with ancient cliff castles and hillforts through medieval castles and the Henrician castles and blockhouses of the Tudor period.
Sites containing Bronze Age and Iron Age barrows are also part of this project. Dry Tree Barrow on Goonhilly Downs is one of a number of interesting ancient pieces of archaeology in this area including the three-metre high Bronce Age ‘Dry Tree Menhir’, which has sadly undergone some damage over the past hundred years. The barrow itself is in danger due to the growth of invasive plants and part of the Monumental Improvement project is to clear the vegetation. Mount Edgcumbe Barrow is a scheduled monument, a Bronze Age bowl barrow some 33m in diameter and 3m high. The dangers to this site are animal burrowing and from livestock. There has been some previous investigation of the site. The final barrow site in the Monumental Improvement project are the six bowl barrows at Goonhilly Earth Station forming part of a round barrow cemetery on Goonhilly downs. These six are included as one scheduled monument grouping where others located here are individually recorded and scheduled. Once again as with many barrow sites vegetation growth is the major issue and invasive plants and bracken need to be cleared and controlled. All of these sites will have interpretation boards erected as part of this project to provide information about them. This will hopefully encourage interest from local people or groups in helping maintain them far into the future.
Ancient settlements are also included within the Monumental Improvement project. Many people have enjoyed visiting some of Cornwall’s better-known sites of early occupation, such as Carn Euny, Chysauster or the later early medieval settlement at Mawgan Porth. Kynance Gate prehistoric settlement provides an insight into both the Bronze and Iron Ages which was first occupied around 1200 BCE. Reoccupation in the Iron Age saw larger oval houses built and a partial excavation took place in 1896. Some chance discoveries of pottery sherds around 1950 led to 11 seasons of excavations and designated a scheduled monument in 1956 becoming part of the Lizard National Nature Reserve in the 1970’s. The twin Tresibbet Medieval Hamlets is from a much later time period but archaeology has provided a great insight into how our Cornish ancestors lived some five hundred years ago. A video has been produced giving a wonderful overview of this site and the living of these folk on Bodmin Moor. Click HERE or the Tresibbet Medieval Hamlets image to see the video. At the eastern edge of Bodmin Moor to the north of the Cheesewring lies an area known as Twelve Men's Moor. On its western edge is located Trewortha Farm Hut Circles within an area nearby to other settlement sites, field systems and ancient monuments. Sites such as this demonstrate Bronze Age farming practices and use of land thousands of years ago. Tehidy Round lies within the woodlands forming part of Tehidy Country Park. This was likely an animal enclosure and covers forty-six square metres, dated to no earlier than the Roman period but probably medieval. Unfortunately walkers and such like have eroded parts of the round and repairs are underway to help better preserve it into the future. An interpretation board will provide information about the site and again hopefully reduce future damage.
Space prevents further coverage of this important Cornish heritage project but there are many other types of sites including ancient cists, stone monuments and circles, boundaries, beacons and holy places. This acts as an introduction to just one project being carried out to preserve Cornish heritage sites and will perhaps encourage interest for folk in volunteering in the New Year. I have seen it written that volunteering as part of a clearance team to help preserve our ancient Cornish heritage takes jobs that professional or paid work would do. Realistically funds are just not available and without volunteering very soon this invaluable heritage would be lost. Cornwall needs to foster quality tourism as British hoi polloi increasingly holiday abroad. Cornwall with its pleasant weather, wonderful coastline and unique physical and cultural heritage needs to exploit these advantages to encourage those with interests in these areas. Cornish monumental sites are a potent part of that heritage and sharing them will create jobs helping boost Cornwall’s economy.
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