Later prehistoric to Romano-British round and Bronze Age to Roman hut circles and enclosures, 230m north west of Callestock Veor

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 230m north west of Callestock Veor survives reasonably well. Despite infilling of the ditches, and limited reduction of the banks, the earthworks remain substantially intact. The underlying old land surface will survive extensively beneath the upstanding earthworks, along with remains of any buildings, structures, and other deposits associated with it. The features interpreted as a timber palisade add significant detail to the evidence for the construction of the round. The associations with external settlement related features, some pre-dating the annexe, and with a Bronze Age hut circle beyond this scheduling, provides insights into the development of this monument type.

Details

The monument includes a later prehistoric to Romano-British round and Bronze Age to Roman hut circles and enclosures, situated on a slight south west slope on the shoulder of a ridge south of Perranzabuloe. The round has an irregular plan, measuring approximately 90m across overall, having a near-circular inner enclosure surrounded by an ovoid annexe with a more angular north side. The inner enclosure has a protective bank of earth and stone, visible on the ground in the western half of the site, where it is 9m-15m wide and up to 0.7m high outside, and 0.3m high inside. Geophysical surveys show evidence for a timber palisade, and a buried external ditch around 4m wide. The enclosure has an entrance on the west side, and a slightly dished interior. The surrounding annexe has a buried outer ditch some 2m wide visible on aerial photographs and geophysical surveys. Comparison with other such sites suggests that the ditch will have a bank within it, which has now been spread or removed. The interior of this enclosure falls gently to the south west with the natural slope. Geophysical survey and aerial photographs show the buried remains of the associated hut circles and enclosures within the scheduling. Two circular or oval features measuring up to about 5m across on the north west and north sides of the round, approximately 9m and 2m respectively beyond its outer ditch, are considered to be the sites of hut circles or other settlement related activity. They are possibly of Bronze Age date, by analogy with an excavated site nearby. Ditches on the west and south sides of the round, some 2m-4m wide, are considered to represent enclosures associated with it; several pre-date the round's annexe, and one to the north west post-dates the north western hut circle mentioned above. The round is associated with an excavated hut circle and another possible hut circle site beyond this scheduling. These represent the dwelling places of prehistoric farmers, mostly dating to the Bronze Age with the earliest examples from around 1700 BC. The modern gates and fittings, water trough, fencing wire, corrugated sheeting and the animal shelter, are excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath these features is included.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

32944

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Tonkin, T, Parochial History of Cornwall, (1710), 460

Other
Title: Ordnance Survey 1:2500 Map Source Date: 1880 Author: Publisher: Surveyor:
Title: Perranzabuloe Tithe Apportionment Source Date: 1840 Author: Publisher: Surveyor:
Jones, A, An Archaeological Investigation at Callestick, Cornwall 1996, 1996, Report for South West Water Services
Jones, A, An Archaeological Investigation at Callestick, Cornwall 1996, 1996, Report for South West Water Services
Jones, A, An Archaeological Investigation at Callestick, Cornwall 1996, 1996, Report for South West Water Services
Thomas, R, Letter to the West Briton, (1851)
Dyer, CA, Cornwall Mapping Project, (1999)
Report 81/97, Linford, N, Callestick Veor, Cornwall, Report on Geophysical Survey, (1997)
Cornwall Mapping Project, (199)
SW 75 SE 5, King, AN, Ordnance Survey Index Card, (1971)
Report 81/97, Linford, N, Callestick Veor, Cornwall, Report on Geophysical Survey, (1997)
Report 81/97, Linford, N, Callestick Veor, Cornwall, Report on Geophysical Survey, (1997)

End of official list entry

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