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 790m north east of Trebollack survives reasonably well. Despite
incorporation of part of the enclosing bank in a woodland boundary,
substantial earthworks survive. The old land surface underlying the bank, and
remains of any buildings, structures and other deposits associated with the
bank and largely buried external ditch, and with the interior, will survive.
Details
The scheduling includes a later prehistoric to Romano-British round, situated
on a fairly steep north east slope, above a stream running into the upper
River Fal.
The round is oval in plan, measuring approximately 65m north west-south east
by 45m north east-south west overall. It has an enclosing bank of earth and
stone, visible around the north side as a scarp up to 4.7m high, and around
the south as part of a more extensive modern stone-faced woodland boundary
bank, 2.4m wide and 1.2m high on the outside, 0.6m high inside. By analogy
with similar sites, the round is considered to have an external ditch, largely
buried but incorporated in a ditch along the uphill side of the woodland
boundary on the south side, where it is 2.5m wide and 0.4m-0.5m deep. The
interior of the round has a moderate north east slope. 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:
32934
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Other Title: Cornwall Mapping Project
Source Date: 1996
Author:
Publisher:
Surveyor:
Title: Lamorran Tithe Apportionment
Source Date: 1840
Author:
Publisher:
Surveyor:
u 27 Title: Ordnance Survey 1:2500 Map
Source Date: 1880
Author:
Publisher:
Surveyor:
Legal
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.
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