Iron Age defended settlement 550m east of Feadon Farm

List Entry Summary

This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national importance. This entry is a copy, the original is held by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Location

Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details.

The monument may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

Legacy System Information

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Asset Groupings

This list entry does not comprise part of an Asset Grouping. Asset Groupings are not part of the official record but are added later for information.

List entry Description

Summary of Monument

Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details.

Reasons for Designation

During the Iron Age a variety of different types of settlement were constructed and occupied in south western England. At the top of the settlement hierarchy were hillforts built in prominent locations. In addition to these a group of smaller sites, known as defended settlements, were also constructed. Some of these were located on hilltops, others in less prominent positions. They are generally smaller than the hillforts, sometimes with an enclosed area of less than 1ha. The enclosing defences were of earthen construction. Univallate sites have a single bank and ditch, multivallate sites more than one. At some sites these earthen ramparts represent a second phase of defence, the first having been a timber fence or palisade. Where excavated, evidence of stone- or timber-built houses has been found within the enclosures, which, in contrast to the hillfort sites, would have been occupied by small communities, perhaps no more than a single family group. Defended settlements are a rare monument type. They were an important element of the settlement pattern, particularly in the upland areas of south western England, and are integral to any study of the developing use of fortified settlements during this period. The Iron Age defended settlement 550m east of Feadon Farm survives well and will contain archaeological and environmental evidence relating to its construction, development, longevity, strategic and territorial significance, agricultural practices, domestic arrangements and overall landscape context.

History

Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details.

Details

The monument includes an Iron Age defended settlement, situated on the upper north-facing slopes of a prominent ridge, overlooking the valley which leads to Portreath. The settlement survives as a roughly oval area. It is defined by double closely-concentric ramparts with ditches which are preserved differentially. The western side of the enclosure is best preserved with the ramparts clearly visible, whilst to the east the outer rampart and ditch are less clearly defined. Generally the outer rampart is up to 1.8m high and the inner rampart is up to 2.4m. The ditches are preserved as buried features.

Sources: HER:- PastScape Monument No:-426083

Selected Sources

National Grid Reference: SW6642144975

Map

The above map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. For a copy of the full scale map, please see the attached PDF - 1007295 .pdf

The PDF will be generated from our live systems and may take a few minutes to download depending on how busy our servers are. We apologise for this delay.

This copy shows the entry on 19-Jun-2018 at 07:39:28.