Round 650m north east of Trelaske

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 650m north east of Trelaske survives well. Despite partial filling of the ditch, and limited modification for a road, the earthworks remain substantially intact. The underlying old land surface, and remains of any buildings, structures, and other deposits associated with this and with the upstanding earthworks and ditch, will survive. The association with a medieval plain an gwarry may illustrate one form of reuse of this monument type.

Details

The monument includes a later prehistoric to Romano-British round, with evidence for use as a medieval plain an gwarry or playing place, situated on level ground on top of a ridge, south east of Cubert. The round is circular in plan, measuring approximately 70m in diameter overall. It has a single enclosing bank of earth and stone approximately 6m wide and up to 1.5m high internally, and 2m high externally. An external ditch is shown on early maps and aerial photographs and is visible on ground on the south west and north east sides, where it is 4m-7m wide and 0.7m deep. It will survive as a buried feature elsewhere. The interior is level except where it is bisected by a modern road, with a raised surface and flanking banks. An early map gives the name Playings for the field immediately north of the enclosure. The name may denote a medieval playing place or (in Cornish) plain an gwarry, a circular embanked area used for miracle plays. It is therefore considered likely that the site was used in this way. The modern road surface and all modern fencing, gates, telegraph poles and cables, agricultural machinery, implements and materials, 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.

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

32941

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Michell, W E, Reports of the Royal Institution of Cornwall in , Vol. Unknown, (1856), 43

Other
Title: Lanhydrock Atlas Source Date: 1696 Author: Publisher: Surveyor: The Playing, Manor of Ellinglaze
Title: Ordnance Survey 1:2500 Map Source Date: 1908 Author: Publisher: Surveyor:
Title: Ordnance Survey 1:2500 Map Source Date: 1880 Author: Publisher: Surveyor:
Title: Cubert Tithe Apportionment Source Date: 1840 Author: Publisher: Surveyor: 347
OS 75 NE 14, Fletcher, MJ, Ordnance Survey Index Card, (1971)
PRN 19656, Johnson, N, CAU SMR, (1975)
AM7, (1951)
PRN 19656, Rose, P, CAU SMR, (1986)

End of official list entry

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