Reasons for Designation
Rounds are small embanked enclosures, one of a range of settlement types
dating to between the later Iron Age and the early post-Roman period. Usually
circular or oval, they have a single earth and rubble bank and an outer ditch,
with one entrance breaking the circuit.
Excavations have produced drystone supporting walls within the bank, paved or
cobbled entrance ways, post built gate structures, and remains of timber, turf
or stone built houses of oval or rectangular plan, often set around the inner
edge of the enclosing bank. Other evidence includes hearths, drains, gullies,
pits and rubbish middens. Evidence for industrial activities has been
recovered from some sites, including small scale metal working and, among the
domestic debris, items traded from distant sources. Some rounds are associated
with secondary enclosures, either abutting the round as an annexe or forming
an additional enclosure.
Rounds are viewed primarily as agricultural settlements, the equivalents of
farming hamlets. They were replaced by unenclosed settlement types by the 7th
century AD. Over 750 rounds are recorded in the British Isles, occurring in
areas bordering the Irish Seas, but confined in England to south west Devon
and especially Cornwall, where many more examples may await discovery. Most
recorded examples are sited on hillslopes and spurs.
Rounds are important as one of the major sources of information on settlement
and social organisation of the Iron Age and Roman periods in south west
England. Consequently, sites with significant surviving remains will normally
be considered to be of national importance.
The round 520m north west of Trevissick Farm survives reasonably well. Despite
modification of part of the enclosing bank to form a field boundary and
reduction of the remainder by ploughing, substantial earthworks survive. The
old land surface underlying the bank, and remains of any buildings, structures
and other deposits associated with the bank and buried external ditch, and
with the interior, will survive.
Details
The scheduling includes a later prehistoric to Romano-British round, situated
on a slight north west slope on a ridge east of Porthtowan.
The round is sub-oval in plan, measuring approximately 68.5m north east-south
west by 56m north west-south east externally. Spread remains of an original
single enclosing bank are visible as a gentle scarp, 12m wide and 0.7m high,
from the south west side around the west and north to the east sides; and as a
slight break in slope from the east to the SSE sides, and on the south west
side where the bank curves through the corner of another field. On the south
to south west side, part of the bank is incorporated in a stone faced earth
and stone boundary bank, relatively modern in its present form. This averages
2m wide and 1.8m high, but is up to 3m wide and 2.15m high for some 5m at its
western end. An external ditch approximately 4.5m wide, and an original
entrance on the east side approximately 2.7m wide, are recorded. The ditch is
considered to lie under the scarp formed by the spread enclosing bank around
all sides except the south to south west, where it has been buried by silting
or ploughing. The interior of the round is slightly concave, dipping south
west of the centre. An associated field system beyond this scheduling is
recorded, and part of a rotary quern was found in the area. The field system
has been damaged by cultivation and is not considered to be of national
importance.
All modern fencing, gates and gate fittings, are excluded from the
scheduling, although the ground beneath them is included.
MAP EXTRACT
The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.
It includes a 2 metre boundary around the archaeological features,
considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.
