LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade
Satellite Imagery
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HER: Cornwall and Scilly MCO6530 (24062)
NMR: SX 04 NW 8 (431089)
SM: 1004391
NGR: SX0392948001
X: 203929 Y: 48001 (OSGB36)
Multivallate promontory fort sited on commanding rocky headland dividing St Austell and Mevagissey Bays. Sea cliffs to the E, S and W. Irregularly-shaped with at least three parallel rampart banks, with partially buried outer ditches to the NW across narrowest part of headland, elsewhere defined by steep natural sea cliffs, enclosing 3.3ha. Outermost rampart slight and ditch almost gone. Central and inner ramparts to 5.2m high with 2.1m deep ditches. Ramparts on W side much mutilated. Site now inaccessible from sea, but coastal erosion substantial since prehistory. Former low field bank traces in interior now not visible. Damaged with original entrance probably on W side. In interior at least one stone hut circle to NNW of recent rifle butts built in 1880's and modified during 1907 and 1970's. Many of surviving features associated with this subsequent reuse. Coastal grassland and bare rock. On 1st Ed. OS map (1882). Undated.
Citizen Science: ✗
Reliability of Data: Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation: Confirmed
X: -529272 Y: 6498258 (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude: -4.754527479674589 Latitude: 50.29922461513015 (EPSG:4326)
Country: England
Current County or Unitary Authority: Cornwall
Historic County: Cornwall
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland: St Austell Bay
Coastal erosion and damaged by rifle range. Partially and fully filled ditches and ramparts damaged to W. On Heritage at Risk Register (2015).
| Extant | ✓ |
| Cropmark | ✗ |
| Likely Destroyed | ✓ |
Developed and coastal grassland and bare rock. Rifle range.
| Woodland | ✗ |
| Commercial Forestry Plantation | ✗ |
| Parkland | ✗ |
| Pasture (Grazing) | ✗ |
| Arable | ✗ |
| Scrub/Bracken | ✗ |
| Bare Outcrop | ✗ |
| Heather/Moorland | ✗ |
| Heath | ✗ |
| Built-up | ✗ |
| Coastal Grassland | ✓ |
| Other | ✓ |
Multivallate promontory fort (aka cliff castle) sited on commanding rocky headland dividing St Austell and Mevagissey Bays. Substantial sea cliffs to the E, S and W.
| Contour Fort | ✗ |
| Partial Contour Fort | ✗ |
| Promontory Fort | ✓ |
| Hillslope Fort | ✗ |
| Level Terrain Fort | ✗ |
| Marsh Fort | ✗ |
| Multiple Enclosure Fort | ✗ |
Sea cliff headland site inaccessible from the sea
| Hilltop | ✗ |
| Coastal Promontory | ✓ |
| Inland Promontory | ✗ |
| Valley Bottom | ✗ |
| Knoll/Hillock/Outcrop | ✗ |
| Ridge | ✗ |
| Cliff/Plateau-edge/Scarp | ✗ |
| Hillslope | ✗ |
| Lowland | ✗ |
| Spur | ✗ |
Dominant Topographic Feature: Rocky coastal headland.
| North | ✗ |
| Northeast | ✗ |
| East | ✗ |
| Southeast | ✗ |
| South | ✗ |
| Southwest | ✗ |
| West | ✗ |
| Northwest | ✗ |
| Level | ✓ |
Altitude: 50.0m
N/A
None.
Reliability: D - None
| Pre 1200BC | ✗ |
| 1200BC - 800BC | ✗ |
| 800BC - 400BC | ✗ |
| 400BC - AD50 | ✗ |
| AD50 - AD400 | ✗ |
| AD400 - AD 800 | ✗ |
| Post AD800 | ✗ |
| Unknown | ✓ |
| Pre Hillfort: | None |
| Post Hillfort: | Rifle range since 1880's. |
On 1st Ed. OS map (1882). Field investigation Ordnance Survey 1968, 1972. Survey National Trust 1987.
| 1st Identified Map Depiction (1882): | OS map |
| Earthwork Survey (1968): | Survey - no details. |
| Earthwork Survey (1972): | Survey - no details. |
| Other (1987): | Survey National Trust. |
| Other (None): | Field investigation OS. |
In interior at least one stone hut circle to NNW of the more recent rifle butts. Former low field bank traces in interior now not visible.
None
| None | ✓ |
| Spring | ✗ |
| Stream | ✗ |
| Pool | ✗ |
| Flush | ✗ |
| Well | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
In interior at least one stone hut circle to NNW of the more recent rifle butts. Former low field bank traces in interior now not visible.
| No Known Features | ✗ |
| Round Stone Structures | ✓ |
| Rectangular Stone Structures | ✗ |
| Curvilinear Platforms | ✗ |
| Other Roundhouse Evidence | ✓ |
| Pits | ✗ |
| Quarry Hollows | ✗ |
| Other | ✓ |
None
| No Known Excavation | ✓ |
| Pits | ✗ |
| Postholes | ✗ |
| Roundhouses | ✗ |
| Rectangular Structures | ✗ |
| Roads/Tracks | ✗ |
| Quarry Hollows | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
| Nothing Found | ✗ |
None
| No Known Geophysics | ✓ |
| Pits | ✗ |
| Roundhouses | ✗ |
| Rectangular Structures | ✗ |
| Roads/Tracks | ✗ |
| Quarry Hollows | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
| Nothing Found | ✗ |
None
| No Known Finds | ✓ |
| Pottery | ✗ |
| Metal | ✗ |
| Metalworking | ✗ |
| Human Bones | ✗ |
| Animal Bones | ✗ |
| Lithics | ✗ |
| Environmental | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
None
| APs Not Checked | ✓ |
| None | ✗ |
| Roundhouses | ✗ |
| Rectangular Structures | ✗ |
| Pits | ✗ |
| Postholes | ✗ |
| Roads/Tracks | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
Present causeway gap through middle of banks, and original, now damaged, entrance probably on W side.
| 1: | None |
| 2: | None |
Guard Chambers: ✗
Chevaux de Frise: ✗
| 1. Simple Gap (West): | Damaged. Causewayed. |
Irregularly-shaped with at least three parallel rampart banks, with partially buried outer ditches to the NW across narrowest part of headland, other defences provided by the steep natural sea cliffs. Outermost rampart slight and ditch almost gone. Central and inner ramparts to 5.2m high with 2.1m deep ditches. Ramparts on W side much mutilated. Site now inaccessible from sea, but coastal erosion substantial since prehistory.
| Area 1: | 3.3ha. |
| Total: | 3.3ha. |
Total Footprint Area: Noneha.
None
| ✗ | None |
| ✗ | None |
| NE Quadrant: | 0 |
| SE Quadrant: | 0 |
| SW Quadrant: | 0 |
| NW Quadrant: | 3 |
| Total: | 3 |
| Partial Univallate | ✗ |
| Univallate | ✗ |
| Partial Bivallate | ✗ |
| Bivallate | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate | ✓ |
| Multivallate | ✗ |
| Unknown | ✗ |
| Partial Univallate | ✗ |
| Univallate | ✗ |
| Partial Bivallate | ✗ |
| Bivallate | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate | ✗ |
| Multivallate | ✗ |
None
| None | ✗ |
| Earthen Bank | ✓ |
| Stone Wall | ✗ |
| Rubble | ✗ |
| Wall-walk | ✗ |
| Evidence of Timber | ✗ |
| Vitrification | ✗ |
| Other Burning | ✗ |
| Palisade | ✗ |
| Counter Scarp Bank | ✗ |
| Berm | ✗ |
| Unfinished | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
None
| None | ✗ |
| Earthen Bank | ✗ |
| Stone Wall | ✗ |
| Murus Duplex | ✗ |
| Timber-framed | ✗ |
| Timber-laced | ✗ |
| Vitrification | ✗ |
| Other Burning | ✗ |
| Palisade | ✗ |
| Counter Scarp Bank | ✗ |
| Berm | ✗ |
| Unfinished | ✗ |
| No Known Excavation | ✓ |
| Other | ✗ |
| ✗ | None |
| ✓ | Partially and fully filled ditches. |
Number of Ditches: 3
| ✗ | None |
Cotton, M.A. 1958-9. Cornish Cliff Castles, Proc West Cornwall Fld Club, 2, 3, 119.
Johnson, N. and Rose, P. 1982. Defended settlement in Cornwall - an illustrated discussion, In ed. D. Miles, The Romano-British countryside: Studies in rural settlement and economy, BAR Brit Ser 103, 151-207.
National Trust 1987. The National Trust archaeological survey Black Head, Cornwall, ER378, Historic Environment Service, Truro.
Page, W. ed. 1906. The Victoria History of the County of Cornwall, 1, London: James Street, 453.
Atlas of Hillforts:
Wikidata:
This work is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
and should be cited as:
Lock, Gary and Ralston, Ian. 2024. Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland. Available at: https://hillforts.arch.ox.ac.uk
Document Version 1.1