Round 310m north of Carlannick

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 310m north of Carlannick survives reasonably well. Despite limited relatively recent modification of the bank to the west, and reduction of the earthworks in the field on the east by ploughing, these remain substantially intact. The old land surface underlying the bank, and remains of buildings, structures and other deposits associated with it, together with the bank and external ditch, and the interior, will survive. The location, on a spur with a natural scarp to the west, demonstrates the role of topography in the siting of later prehistoric to Romano-British enclosures.

Details

The scheduling includes a later prehistoric to Romano-British round, situated on top of a spur on the north side of a ridge forming a promontory between two converging streams south of the River Fal. The spur is cut off from the higher ground of the ridge on the south side by a pronounced natural dip. The round is sub-oval in plan, measuring approximately 116m north east-south west by 82m north west-south east. On the west side it is enclosed by an earth and stone bank running along the top of the slope above the western stream valley. It is 5m wide, and 2.5m high on the west side, and 1.4m high on the east side, where it has been modified to form the field boundary with a modern, nearly vertical stone revetment. An external ditch runs between the bank and a natural scarp on the west side. It is approximately 4m wide and 0.4m-0.9m deep, and is cut through the natural rock in places. On the north and south sides the modern field boundary extends from the revetted bank of the round as stone faced earth and stone banks, running across the external ditch. The ploughed but substantial remains of the defences enclosing the round in the field to the east are visible as a scarp 0.8m-2.0m high, with a shelf 5m wide on the north and east sides considered to be the remains of the silted or infilled external ditch. The interior of the round is fairly smooth, rising slightly towards the centre. To the west the ground dips some 0.3m towards the enclosing bank from around 4m to its east. There are no clearly visible remains of an entrance; on both the north and south sides there are ill-defined gaps in the scarp in the field where it meets the bank to the west. The round is closely associated with a field system to the south of the monument which is considered to be of medieval origin. This has been reduced by cultivation and is not considered to be of national importance. All modern fencing and corrugated sheeting is excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath 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.

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

32931

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Padel, O J, Cornish placename elements, (1985), 50, 149

Other
Title: Cornwall Mapping Project Source Date: 1996 Author: Publisher: Surveyor:
Title: Philleigh Tithe Apportionment Source Date: 1840 Author: Publisher: Surveyor: 555
Title: Ordnance Survey 1:2500 Map Source Date: 1901 Author: Publisher: Surveyor:
Title: Ordnance Survey 1:2500 Map Source Date: 1880 Author: Publisher: Surveyor:
SW 83 NE 3, Palmer, J, Ordnance Survey Index Card, (1968)

End of official list entry

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