Forts in Cornwall
Encyclopedia
There are over 80 hill forts in Cornwall
dating from the Iron Age
, Roman
and post-Roman periods, with most showing evidence of occupation and re-occupation by the Cornish
Cornovii
tribe. Two of the most impressive, at opposite ends of Cornwall, are Chûn Castle
, near Penzance
and Warbstow
Bury in North East Cornwall. Others can be found at Caer Bran
, Castle An Dinas
(Goss Moor), Castle an Dinas (Penzance
), Castle Canyke, Kelly Rounds
, Cadsonbury, Resugga Castle, Helsbury near Michaelstow, St Dennis, Gear fort, Lescudjack Hill Fort
, Prideaux Castle
, and Castle Dore
.
Promontory fort
s or cliff top forts were also common in the Iron Age and examples of these are at Trevelgue near Newquay
, Maen Castle
near Sennen
, St Michael's at Rame Head
, Dodman Point
(near Gorran Haven
), Treryn Dinas (Logan Rock
), Trereen Dinas (Gurnard's Head
) and The Rumps
(near St Minver
).
) and also at the time when a Spanish invasion was expected in the 1580s. Polruan
also has a blockhouse
fortification that guards the entrance to the river Fowey, one of a pair — its partner being situated on the Fowey side of the river. Between the two blockhouses was strung a chain to prevent enemy ships entering the harbour, the chain being lowered for friendly vessels. This was primarily used during the wars with the Dutch. Many Napoleonic forts were built during the Napoleonic War in South East Cornwall
to protect Plymouth Sound
and Plymouth's docks
in Devonport, Devon
from attack: some are still in use today by the Ministry of Defence
.
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...
dating from the Iron Age
Iron 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...
, Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient 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....
and post-Roman periods, with most showing evidence of occupation and re-occupation by the Cornish
Cornish people
The Cornish are a people associated with Cornwall, a county and Duchy in the south-west of the United Kingdom that is seen in some respects as distinct from England, having more in common with the other Celtic parts of the United Kingdom such as Wales, as well as with other Celtic nations in Europe...
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....
tribe. Two of the most impressive, at opposite ends of Cornwall, are Chûn Castle
Chûn Castle
Chûn Castle is a large Iron Age hillfort near Penzance in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The fort was built around two and a half thousand years ago, and fell into disuse until the 6th century AD when it was possibly reoccupied to protect the nearby tin mines. It stands beside a prehistoric trackway...
, near Penzance
Penzance
Penzance is a town, civil parish, and port in Cornwall, England, in the United Kingdom. It is the most westerly major town in Cornwall and is approximately 75 miles west of Plymouth and 300 miles west-southwest of London...
and Warbstow
Warbstow
Warbstow is a village and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The parish has a population of 439 according to the 2001 census.The parish is one of the few left in England to still have an exclave...
Bury in North East Cornwall. Others can be found at Caer Bran
Caer Bran
Caer Bran Hill Fort is an archaeological site near Sancreed and Carn Euny Iron Age village, on the Penwith peninsula in Cornwall.It is a popular location for walkers and antiquarians because it commands a stunning 360 degree panorama of the entire Penwith peninsula which probably accounts for its...
, Castle An Dinas
Castle an Dinas, St. Columb Major
Castle an Dinas is an Iron Age hillfort near St. Columb Major in Cornwall, UK and is considered one of the most important hillforts in the southwest of Britain. It dates from around the 3rd to 2nd century BCE and consists of three ditch and rampart concentric rings, 850 feet above sea level....
(Goss Moor), Castle an Dinas (Penzance
Penzance
Penzance is a town, civil parish, and port in Cornwall, England, in the United Kingdom. It is the most westerly major town in Cornwall and is approximately 75 miles west of Plymouth and 300 miles west-southwest of London...
), Castle Canyke, Kelly Rounds
Kelly Rounds
Kelly Rounds, or Castle Killibury is an Iron Age hill fort in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated beside the A39 trunk road approximately two miles east of Wadebridge....
, Cadsonbury, Resugga Castle, Helsbury near Michaelstow, St Dennis, Gear fort, Lescudjack Hill Fort
Lescudjack Hill Fort
Lescudjack Hill fort is the name given to the unexcavated Iron Age settlement located in Penzance, Cornwall. The name might originate from the Cornish words lan and scosek - shielded enclosure or, more likely, "nans" and "cosek"...
, Prideaux Castle
Prideaux Castle
Prideaux Castle is a quadrivallate Iron Age hillfort situated atop a 133 m high conical hill near the southern boundary of the parish of Luxulyan, Cornwall, in the United Kingdom...
, and Castle Dore
Castle Dore
Castle Dore is an Iron Age and early mediaeval hill fort near Fowey in Cornwall, United Kingdom located at .- Description and History :It consists of circular bank and ditch enclosure with a second enclosure nearby thought to have been an animal corral...
.
Promontory fort
A promontory fort is a defensive structure located above a steep cliff, often only connected to the mainland by a small neck of land, thus utilizing the topography to reduce the ramparts needed. Although their dating is problematic, most seem to date to the Iron Age...
s or cliff top forts were also common in the Iron Age and examples of these are at Trevelgue near Newquay
Newquay
Newquay is a town, civil parish, seaside resort and fishing port in Cornwall, England. It is situated on the North Atlantic coast of Cornwall approximately west of Bodmin and north of Truro....
, Maen Castle
Maen Castle
Maen Castle is an Iron Age promontory fort or 'cliff castle' close to Land's End in Cornwall. It is one of only two fortified sites in Cornwall where Early Iron Age pottery has been found...
near Sennen
Sennen
Sennen is a coastal civil parish and a village in Cornwall, United Kingdom. Sennen village is situated approximately eight miles west-southwest of Penzance....
, St Michael's at Rame Head
Rame Head
Rame Head is a coastal headland, southwest of the village of Rame in southeast Cornwall, United Kingdom.-History and antiquities:The site was used for a hill fort in the Iron Age. The headland has a prominent chapel, dedicated to St Michael, accessible by a steep footpath...
, Dodman Point
Dodman Point
Dodman Point is a high headland near Mevagissey, Cornwall. It was once an Iron Age promontory fort. At its seaward end is a large granite cross, erected to help protect shipping from this headland...
(near Gorran Haven
Gorran Haven
Gorran Haven is a fishing village on the south coast of Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated approximately south of Mevagissey.The village lies in a cove between two sandy beaches...
), Treryn Dinas (Logan Rock
Logan Rock
The Logan Rock near the village of Treen in Cornwall, England, UK, is an example of a logan or rocking stone. Although it weighs some 80 tons, it was dislodged in 1824 by a group of British seamen, intent on showing what the Navy could do...
), Trereen Dinas (Gurnard's Head
Gurnard's Head
Gurnard's Head is a prominent headland on the north coast of the Penwith peninsula in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is near the hamlet of Treen in the parish of Zennor....
) and The Rumps
The Rumps
The Rumps is a twin-headland promontory at the north-east corner of Pentire Head in north Cornwall, United Kingdom.The promontory is formed from hard basaltic rock and projects north into the Atlantic Ocean. Its headlands lie east-to-west...
(near St Minver
St Minver
St Minver is the name of an ecclesiastical parish, a civil parish and a village in north Cornwall, United Kingdom.The civil parish of St Minver is in Bodmin Registration District and is nominally divided into St Minver Highlands and St Minver Lowlands .The combined parish is bounded on the south...
).
Modern forts
In Tudor times the coastal defences were strengthened (as by Henry VIII at St MawesSt Mawes
St Mawes is a small town opposite Falmouth, on the Roseland Peninsula on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It lies on the east bank of the Carrick Roads, a large waterway created after the Ice Age from an ancient valley which flooded as the melt waters caused the sea level to...
) and also at the time when a Spanish invasion was expected in the 1580s. Polruan
Polruan
Polruan is a small fishing village in the parish of Lanteglos-by-Fowey in Cornwall, England, UK. It is bounded on three sides by water: to the north by Pont Creek, to the west by the River Fowey and to the south by the English Channel and neighbours village Bodinnick to the north, connected by a 4...
also has a blockhouse
Blockhouse
In military science, a blockhouse is a small, isolated fort in the form of a single building. It serves as a defensive strong point against any enemy that does not possess siege equipment or, in modern times, artillery...
fortification that guards the entrance to the river Fowey, one of a pair — its partner being situated on the Fowey side of the river. Between the two blockhouses was strung a chain to prevent enemy ships entering the harbour, the chain being lowered for friendly vessels. This was primarily used during the wars with the Dutch. Many Napoleonic forts were built during the Napoleonic War in South East Cornwall
South East Cornwall
South East Cornwall is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- Boundaries :...
to protect Plymouth Sound
Plymouth Sound
Plymouth Sound, or locally just The Sound, is a bay at Plymouth in England.Its southwest and southeast corners are Penlee Point in Cornwall and Wembury Point on Devon, a distance of about 3 nautical miles . Its northern limit is Plymouth Hoe giving a north-south distance of nearly 3 nautical miles...
and Plymouth's docks
Dock (maritime)
A dock is a human-made structure or group of structures involved in the handling of boats or ships, usually on or close to a shore.However, the exact meaning varies among different variants of the English language...
in Devonport, Devon
Devonport, Devon
Devonport, formerly named Plymouth Dock or just Dock, is a district of Plymouth in the English county of Devon, although it was, at one time, the more important settlement. It became a county borough in 1889...
from attack: some are still in use today by the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
.