Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

EN0626 Largin Castle, Cornwall

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

LiDAR 1m DTM Hillshade

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

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HER:  Cornwall and Scilly 6619 (None)

NMR:  SX 16 SE 7 (None)

SM:  None

NGR:  SX 1691 6452

X:  216914  Y:  64522  (OSGB36)

Summary

Complex, contour hillfort situated on high spur with steep slopes overlooking the valley of the River Fowey. Defined by main enclosure of 1.8ha with two outer cross-banks cutting off the S landward side of the spur; possible annexes but unclear. All composed of bank, ditch and counterscarp, latter missing on W of outer enclosure. In S of the outer rampart remains of club-ended or inturned entrance leads to broad shallow hollow way which extends to the simple entrance of the main enclosure. Under conifer plantation, but in good condition. A complex series of linear earthworks associated with the fort. Probable pillow mound in the interior. Undated. On 1st Ed OS map (1885-1900).

Status

Citizen Science:  ✗

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -509893  Y:  6524896  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -4.580444062099575  Latitude:  50.451829418187934  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  England; None

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Cornwall

Historic County:  Cornwall

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Braddock; St Pinnock

Monument Condition

Good condition despite plantation.

Condition:
Extant   ✓
Cropmark   ✗
Likely Destroyed   ✗

Land Use

Under conifer plantation.

Current Use:
Woodland   ✗
Commercial Forestry Plantation   ✓
Parkland   ✗
Pasture (Grazing)   ✗
Arable   ✗
Scrub/Bracken   ✗
Bare Outcrop   ✗
Heather/Moorland   ✗
Heath   ✗
Built-up   ✗
Coastal Grassland   ✗
Other   ✗

Landscape

Hillfort Type

Contour fort on a spur.

Type:
Contour Fort   ✓
Partial Contour Fort   ✗
Promontory Fort   ✗
Hillslope Fort   ✗
Level Terrain Fort   ✗
Marsh Fort   ✗
Multiple Enclosure Fort   ✗

Topographic Position

Sited on a spur of a steep sided hill

Position:
Hilltop   ✗
Coastal Promontory   ✗
Inland Promontory   ✗
Valley Bottom   ✗
Knoll/Hillock/Outcrop   ✗
Ridge   ✗
Cliff/Plateau-edge/Scarp   ✗
Hillslope   ✗
Lowland   ✗
Spur   ✓

Dominant Topographic Feature:  overlooking river valley

Aspect:
North   ✓
Northeast   ✗
East   ✗
Southeast   ✗
South   ✗
Southwest   ✗
West   ✗
Northwest   ✗
Level   ✗

Altitude:  122.0m

Boundary

Boundary Type:  Parish/Townland


Dating Evidence

No dating.

Reliability:  D - None

Principal Activity:
Pre 1200BC   ✗
1200BC - 800BC   ✗
800BC - 400BC   ✗
400BC - AD50   ✗
AD50 - AD400   ✗
AD400 - AD 800   ✗
Post AD800   ✗
Unknown   ✓

Other Activity:
Pre Hillfort:   None
Post Hillfort:   Possible cross lynchet and probable pillow mound in the interior.

Evidence:No related records

Investigation History

On 1st Ed OS map (1885-1900). Field investigation Ordnance Survey 1972.

Investigations:
Other (1972):   Field investigation OS.
1st Identified Map Depiction (None):   OS map.

Interior Features

No evidence.

Water Source

None recorded

Source:
None   ✓
Spring   ✗
Stream   ✗
Pool   ✗
Flush   ✗
Well   ✗
Other   ✗

Surface

None

Interior Features (Surface):
No Known Features   ✓
Round Stone Structures   ✗
Rectangular Stone Structures   ✗
Curvilinear Platforms   ✗
Other Roundhouse Evidence   ✗
Pits   ✗
Quarry Hollows   ✗
Other   ✗

Excavation

None

Interior Features (Excavation):
No Known Excavation   ✓
Pits   ✗
Postholes   ✗
Roundhouses   ✗
Rectangular Structures   ✗
Roads/Tracks   ✗
Quarry Hollows   ✗
Other   ✗
Nothing Found   ✗

Geophysics

None

Interior Features (Geophysics):
No Known Geophysics   ✓
Pits   ✗
Roundhouses   ✗
Rectangular Structures   ✗
Roads/Tracks   ✗
Quarry Hollows   ✗
Other   ✗
Nothing Found   ✗

Finds

None

Interior (Finds):
No Known Finds   ✓
Pottery   ✗
Metal   ✗
Metalworking   ✗
Human Bones   ✗
Animal Bones   ✗
Lithics   ✗
Environmental   ✗
Other   ✗

Aerial

None

Interior Features (Aerial):
APs Not Checked   ✓
None   ✗
Roundhouses   ✗
Rectangular Structures   ✗
Pits   ✗
Postholes   ✗
Roads/Tracks   ✗
Other   ✗

Entrances

In S of the outer rampart remains of club-ended or inturned entrance leads to broad shallow hollow way which extends to the simple entrance of the main enclosure.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
1:   None

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   None

Guard Chambers:  ✗

Chevaux de Frise:  ✗

Entrances:
1. In-turned (South):   With hollow way.
1. Hollow Way (South):   Broad shallow hollow way.

Enclosing Works

Defined by main enclosure of 1.8ha with two outer cross-banks cutting off the S landward side of the spur. All composed of bank, ditch and counterscarp, latter missing on W of outer enclosure.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   1.8ha.
Total:   1.8ha.

Total Footprint Area:  Noneha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   None

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✓   Only main enclosure defined.

Number of Ramparts:  
NE Quadrant:   1
SE Quadrant:   1
SW Quadrant:   1
NW Quadrant:   1
Total:   1

Morphology

Current Morphology:
Partial Univallate   ✗
Univallate   ✓
Partial Bivallate   ✗
Bivallate   ✗
Partial Multivallate   ✗
Multivallate   ✗
Unknown   ✗

Detailed Morphology:
Partial Univallate   ✗
Univallate   ✗
Partial Bivallate   ✗
Bivallate   ✗
Partial Multivallate   ✗
Multivallate   ✗

Surface Evidence

Counterscarps to all three ditches.

Enclosing Works (Surface):
None   ✗
Earthen Bank   ✓
Stone Wall   ✗
Rubble   ✗
Wall-walk   ✗
Evidence of Timber   ✗
Vitrification   ✗
Other Burning   ✗
Palisade   ✗
Counter Scarp Bank   ✓
Berm   ✗
Unfinished   ✗
Other   ✗

Excavated Evidence

None

Enclosing Works (Excavation):
None   ✗
Earthen Bank   ✗
Stone Wall   ✗
Murus Duplex   ✗
Timber-framed   ✗
Timber-laced   ✗
Vitrification   ✗
Other Burning   ✗
Palisade   ✗
Counter Scarp Bank   ✗
Berm   ✗
Unfinished   ✗
No Known Excavation   ✓
Other   ✗

Other

Gang Working:
✗   None

Ditches:
✓   Ditch to main enclosure and two cross-banks.

Number of Ditches:  3

Annex:
✓   Two outer cross banks to S cutting off spur may be annexes, but unclear.

References

Page, W. ed. 1906. The Victoria History of the County of Cornwall, 1, London: James Street, 462.



Terms of Use

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


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