Carn Brea
Encyclopedia
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The hilltop site is situated approximately one mile (1.6 km) southwest of Redruth
Redruth
Redruth is a town and civil parish traditionally in the Penwith Hundred in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It has a population of 12,352. Redruth lies approximately at the junction of the A393 and A3047 roads, on the route of the old London to Land's End trunk road , and is approximately west of...
.
Neolithic settlement
The earliest NeolithicNeolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
settlement at Carn Brea was a tor enclosure
Tor enclosure
A tor enclosure is a prehistoric monument found in the southwestern part of the Great Britain. They are large hilltop or hillslope enclosures situated close to natural rock outcrops. They are surrounded by one or more circuits of stone-built walls...
occupied between around 3700 and 3400 BC. A two acre (8,000 m²) inner enclosure was surrounded by one of eleven acres (45,000 m²). The ramparts consisted of stone walls with an earth bank and ditch. Traces of fourteen platforms on which would have stood Neolithic long house
Neolithic long house
The Neolithic long house was a long, narrow timber dwelling built by the first farmers in Europe beginning at least as early as the period 5000 to 6000 BC. This type of architecture represents the largest free-standing structure in the world in its era...
s have been found by archaeologists within its ramparts along with pottery and flint artifacts
Artifact (archaeology)
An artifact or artefact is "something made or given shape by man, such as a tool or a work of art, esp an object of archaeological interest"...
.
The site was excavated between 1970
and 1973
by Roger Mercer
Roger Mercer
Roger Mercer is a British archaeologist whose work has concentrated on the Neolithic and Bronze Age of the British Isles.Between 1970 and 1973 he led the excavations at Carn Brea in Cornwall and then went on to direct the excavations at Hambledon Hill and Grimes Graves, a Neolithic flint mine...
.
A population of 100 to 150 people has been suggested. There is evidence that the occupants cleared the surroundings by burning away the undergrowth and removing stones to use the land for farming. The acid soils of the area precluded the preservation of any environmental evidence which would have provided more information on this aspect. Nearby outcrops of rock suitable for manufacture as axe
Axe
The axe, or ax, is an implement that has been used for millennia to shape, split and cut wood; to harvest timber; as a weapon; and as a ceremonial or heraldic symbol...
s would have contributed to the village's economy. Edge grinding stones, blanks and incomplete and finished axes found on the site indicate that the inhabitants were accomplished stoneworkers and traded their products to others. That the pottery found on the site appears to have come from a production centre almost 20 miles (30 km) to south in the present day parish of St Keverne
St Keverne
St Keverne is a civil parish and village on the Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall, United Kingdom.The Cornish Rebellion of 1497 started in St Keverne. The leader of the rebellion Michael An Gof was a blacksmith from St Keverne and is commemorated by a statue in the village...
further supports a complex economic network in the area.
The seven hundred flint arrowheads found scattered at the site suggest that Carn Brea may have been attacked at least once. Every timber structure on the site had been burnt, the charcoal being the only organic matter that survived the acid soils. The earthworks themselves may also have been deliberately damaged by an invading power.
Iron Age settlement
In the Iron AgeIron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
the site was re-occupied and minerals were mined from the hillside. A hoard
Hoard
In archaeology, a hoard is a collection of valuable objects or artifacts, sometimes purposely buried in the ground. This would usually be with the intention of later recovery by the hoarder; hoarders sometimes died before retrieving the hoard, and these surviving hoards may be uncovered by...
of Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
ish gold stater
Stater
The stater was an ancient coin used in various regions of Greece.-History:The stater is mostly of Macedonian origin. Celtic tribes brought it in to Europe after using it as mercenaries in north Greece. It circulated from the 8th century BC to 50 AD...
s found in the eighteenth century suggests trade links with the other side of the country at this time. The Ravenna Cosmography
Ravenna Cosmography
The Ravenna Cosmography was compiled by an anonymous cleric in Ravenna around AD 700. It consists of a list of place-names covering the world from India to Ireland. Textual evidence indicates that the author frequently used maps as his source....
, of around 700AD, makes reference to Purocoronavis, (almost certainly a corruption of Durocornovium), 'a fort or walled settlement of the Cornovii
Cornovii (Cornish)
The Cornovii were a Celtic tribe who inhabited the far South West peninsula of Great Britain, during the Iron Age, Roman and post-Roman periods and gave their name to Cornwall or Kernow....
', (unidentified, but possibly Tintagel
Tintagel
Tintagel is a civil parish and village situated on the Atlantic coast of Cornwall, United Kingdom. The population of the parish is 1,820 people, and the area of the parish is ....
or Carn Brea).
Landmarks
Carn Brea Castle- The medieval Carn Brea Castle stands near the top of the hill. This was originally built as a chapel, in 1379, probably dedicated to St MichaelSt MichaelSt Michael was a brand that was owned and used by Marks & Spencer from 1928 until 2000.-History:The brand was introduced by Simon Marks in 1928, after his father and co-founder of Marks & Spencer, Michael Marks. By 1950, virtually all goods were sold under the St Michael brand...
, before being rebuilt in the 18th century by the Basset family as a hunting lodge. It is considered a FollyFollyIn architecture, a folly is a building constructed primarily for decoration, but either suggesting by its appearance some other purpose, or merely so extravagant that it transcends the normal range of garden ornaments or other class of building to which it belongs...
castle, due to the huge uncut boulders that make up part of its foundations, giving the impression of the building melting into the land. In the 1980s the abandoned building was converted into a Middle Eastern cuisineMiddle Eastern cuisineMiddle-Eastern cuisine, West Asian cuisine, or in some place in the United States, Persian-Mediterranean cuisine is the cuisine of the various countries and peoples of the Middle East . The cuisine of the region is diverse while having a degree of homogeneity...
restaurant. The stolen Ford Anglia featured in the Harry PotterHarry PotterHarry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
films was found at the Castle in 2006. 50°13′20.85"N 5°14′41.40"W - An East India trading ship was named after Carn Brea Castle, wrecked off the Isle of Wight in 1829 and involved in excise tax fraud.
Basset Monument
- At the highest point of the hill there is a 90 foot high (30m) Celtic crossCeltic crossA Celtic cross is a symbol that combines a cross with a ring surrounding the intersection. In the Celtic Christian world it was combined with the Christian cross and this design was often used for high crosses – a free-standing cross made of stone and often richly decorated...
. This is a monument to Francis Basset, 1st Baron de Dunstanville and BassetFrancis Basset, 1st Baron de Dunstanville and BassetFrancis Basset, 1st Baron de Dunstanville and Basset FRS was an English nobleman and politician. He was the first son of Francis Basset and Margaret St...
(b. 1757, d. 1835). Basset, a mine owner, gained his titles for erecting earthworks to defend PlymouthPlymouthPlymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
from combined French and Spanish fleets in 1779, and suppressing a miners' "food riot" in 1785. Along with others, he petitioned the House of Lords against slavery in 1828. The monument was erected by public subscription in 1836. It is inscribed 'The County of Cornwall to the memory of Francis Lord de Dunstanville and Basset A.D. 1836.' 50°13′16"N 5°14′56"W
Cup and Saucer Rock
- This large flat rock is perched next to the Monument showing several deep basins (see Photograph). This rock has also been called The Sacrificing Rock (though with doubtful historical accuracy). 50°13′16"N 5°14′54"W
Smugglers' Cave
- In a depression between the Monument and the Castle is the remains of the Smugglers' Cave blocked by the Council in the 1980s with rocks to stop children from entering. This tunnel is rumoured to travel from the top of the Carn down into Redruth town but is likely to have been abandoned mine workings. This may have been confused with the separate tunnel running from the castle down to St Uny’s church which was blocked off for safety reasons ca. 1970 by the castle owners. 50°13′19"N 5°14′50"W
Saint Euny's Well
- This well can be found at the foot of Carn Brea below the Castle and near St Euny's Church. It has a plaque by Carn Brea Parish Trails reading "St Euny Well. Holy well of St Euny visited by the Celtic MissionaryCeltic ChristianityCeltic Christianity or Insular Christianity refers broadly to certain features of Christianity that were common, or held to be common, across the Celtic-speaking world during the Early Middle Ages...
500AD". Stories about the sacred use of this well may be confused with St Euny's Well at Sancreed (see Carn EunyCarn EunyCarn Euny is an archaeological site near Sancreed, on the Penwith peninsula in Cornwall, United Kingdom with considerable evidence of both Iron Age and post-Iron Age settlement. Excavations on this site have shown that there was activity at Carn Euny as early as the Neolithic period...
).
Events
Easter- At EasterEasterEaster is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
Redruth Baptist Church erects a lit cross on the outcrop behind the Castle overlooking Redruth. For many years an early morning sun rise service has been held for local Christian worshippers on Easter Sunday.
Midsummer Eve
- The Midsummer Eve (St. John's EveSt. John's EveThe evening of June 23, St John's Eve, is the eve of celebration before the Feast Day of St John the Baptist. The Gospel of Luke states that John was born about six months before Jesus, therefore the feast of John the Baptist was fixed on June 21~24, six months before Christmas...
, 23 June) bonfire ceremony dates from a pagan ritual. Prayers are read in CornishCornish languageCornish is a Brythonic Celtic language and a recognised minority language of the United Kingdom. Along with Welsh and Breton, it is directly descended from the ancient British language spoken throughout much of Britain before the English language came to dominate...
and the bonfire is lit, signalling other fires to be lit at SennenSennenSennen is a coastal civil parish and a village in Cornwall, United Kingdom. Sennen village is situated approximately eight miles west-southwest of Penzance....
, Sancreed BeaconSancreed BeaconSancreed Beacon is a Bronze Age archaeological site near the village of Sancreed in the Penwith peninsula of Cornwall maintained by the Cornwall Heritage Trust...
, Carn Galver to the TamarRiver TamarThe Tamar is a river in South West England, that forms most of the border between Devon and Cornwall . It is one of several British rivers whose ancient name is assumed to be derived from a prehistoric river word apparently meaning "dark flowing" and which it shares with the River Thames.The...
. When only the embers remain, young people leap across them to drive away evil and bring luck.
Boxing Day
- The Boxing DayBoxing DayBoxing Day is a bank or public holiday that occurs on 26 December, or the first or second weekday after Christmas Day, depending on national or regional laws. It is observed in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth nations. In Ireland, it is recognized as...
meet of the Four Burrow Hunt starts at the top of Carn Brea. Due to the changes in fox hunting legislationFox hunting legislationFox hunting legislation refers to various laws and legislative history related to fox hunting in the United Kingdom and elsewhere.-History:Hunting has been regulated for many centuries, most often for the benefit of the upper class. The word "paradise", for example, comes from a Greek word for...
foxes are no longer hunted.
See also
- DumnoniiDumnoniiThe Dumnonii or Dumnones were a British Celtic tribe who inhabited Dumnonia, the area now known as Devon and Cornwall in the farther parts of the South West peninsula of Britain, from at least the Iron Age up to the early Saxon period...
a CeltCeltThe Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
ic tribe who inhabited part of the South West peninsula of Britain, during the Iron Age and the early RomanAncient RomeAncient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
period. - Great Flat Lode TrailGreat Flat Lode TrailThe Great Flat Lode Trail is a long circular trail around Carn Brea in west Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, and is one of Cornwall's Mineral Tramway Trails....
- Carn Brea railway station - the site of the West Cornwall RailwayWest Cornwall RailwayThe West Cornwall Railway was a railway company in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, formed in 1846 to operate the existing Hayle Railway between Hayle and Redruth and extend the railway to Penzance and Truro....
's locomotive workshops.
External links
- Parish Council website
- Cornish Archaeological Society
- Roman-Britain.org records of Romano-British Settlement of Carn Brea