Round 500m west of Parkengear Farm

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.

Despite limited reduction and modification of its enclosing bank, and partial filling or silting of its external ditch, the round 500m west of Parkengear Farm survives well. The underlying old land surface, and remains of any structures or other deposits associated with this and with the upstanding earthworks and ditch, will also survive. The association with similar enclosures nearby will contribute to our understanding of the social and economic organisation of the farming landscape of this region in the later prehistoric to Roman periods.

Details

The scheduling includes a later prehistoric to Romano-British round, situated on a moderate south west slope, south of Probus. The round is sub-circular in plan, measuring approximately 110m across. It has a single enclosing bank of earth and small stones which, around the north side, has been modified to function as a field boundary. The west half of this is a scarp, around 2.8m wide and up to 3.3m high externally, with post-medieval style stone revetment in places. To the east the bank takes the form of a hedge bank 2m wide and 1m high with some stone facing. Around the south side the enclosing bank is visible as an earthwork, spread by cultivation to a width of 10m-15m, and up to around 0.8m high outside, and 0.3m inside. An external ditch surrounding the bank, partly silted or filled up, appears on aerial photographs. It can also be seen on the ground around the north and on the south east sides as a curving hollow up to 9m wide and 0.4m deep. The interior of the round generally slopes west, following the natural gradient, but it is raised and slightly concave. This site is associated with other rounds nearby, some of which are the subject of separate schedulings. The modern water trough, all fencing, and the gate 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.

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

32964

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Padel, O J, Cornish placename elements, (1985), 50, 175
Gover, J E B, The Place-Names of Cornwall, (1948), 478
Hitchens, F, Drew, S, A History of Cornwall in A History of Cornwall, Vol. 2, (1824), 569

Other
Title: Ordnance Survey 1:2500 Map Source Date: 1880 Author: Publisher: Surveyor:
Title: Probus Tithe Apportionment Source Date: 1840 Author: Publisher: Surveyor: 1237
Title: Ordnance Survey 1:2500 Map Source Date: 1908 Author: Publisher: Surveyor:
Title: Cornwall Mapping Project Source Date: 1996 Author: Publisher: Surveyor:
PRN 22537, Cornwall SMR, (1997)
Dyer, CA, Cornwall Mapping Project, (1999)

End of official list entry

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