Round 390m south west of Trethurffe

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 modification of its enclosing bank and filling of its external ditch, caused by ploughing in the past, the round 390m south west of Trethurffe survives fairly 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.

Details

This scheduling includes a later prehistoric to Romano-British round, situated on a slight north west slope above the Tresillian River, with a fairly steep tributary valley on its north side, south of Ladock. The round is sub-oval in plan, measuring approximately 60m east-west by 50m north-south overall. It has a rampart of earth and stone, spread by ploughing, forming a rounded bank up to 14m wide and 0.5m high. By analogy with similar sites elsewhere, the round has an external ditch, now buried. Data from other rounds indicates that the enclosing bank and ditch were each around 4m wide before modification, so that the buried ditch is considered to lie beneath the outer bank material. The interior of the round is slightly raised.

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:

32965

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Milln, J, Cornish Archaeology in Parochial Check-List of Antiquities, Parish of Ladock, Vol. 14, (1975), 108

Other
Title: Ordnance Survey 1" drawing Source Date: 1811 Author: Publisher: Surveyor:
Title: Ladock Tithe Apportionment Source Date: 1840 Author: Publisher: Surveyor: 628
MS at RIC library, Truro, Henderson, C, History of the Parish of Ladock, (1920)
Dyer, CA, Cornwall SMR, (1999)

End of official list entry

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