Misplaced Pages

Carn Brea, Redruth: Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editNext edit →Content deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 10:01, 23 June 2012 editDronkle (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers, Rollbackers12,793 edits Undid revision 498951628 by Fæ (talk)It's not correct. You've labled a railway as a main road← Previous edit Revision as of 10:55, 23 June 2012 edit undoFæ (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users, Rollbackers83,148 edits Hello Peter, in your determination to follow me across Wikimedia, you are failing to read the talk page. Please do so before removing for a 4th time.Next edit →
Line 39: Line 39:


==Landmarks== ==Landmarks==
]
{{Gallery {{Gallery
| lines = 1 | lines = 1

Revision as of 10:55, 23 June 2012

50°13′19″N 5°14′49″W / 50.222°N 5.247°W / 50.222; -5.247

Carn Brea, seen from Redruth. Carn Brea Castle and Monument are visible at the top of the hill.

Carn Brea (Template:Lang-kw) is a civil parish and hilltop site in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The hilltop site is situated approximately one mile (1.6 km) southwest of Redruth.

Neolithic settlement

The earliest Neolithic settlement at Carn Brea was a tor enclosure 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 houses have been found by archaeologists within its ramparts along with pottery and flint artifacts. The site was excavated between 1970 and 1973 by Roger Mercer. A population of 100 to 150 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 soil obliterated any environmental evidence about this. Nearby outcrops of rock suitable for manufacture as axes 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 further supports a complex economic network in the area.

The 700 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 Age the site was reoccupied and minerals were mined from the hillside. A hoard of Kentish gold staters found in the 18th century suggests trade links with the other side of the country at this time. The Ravenna Cosmography, of around AD 700, refers to Purocoronavis (almost certainly a corruption of Durocornovium), 'a fort or walled settlement of the Cornovii' (unidentified, but possibly Tintagel or Carn Brea).

Landmarks

Location map. Carn Brea hill with nearest villages and footpaths marked.
  • Carn Brea Castle Carn Brea Castle
  • Basset Monument Basset Monument
  • Cup and Saucer Rock Cup and Saucer Rock
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 Michael, before being rebuilt in the 18th century by the Basset family as a hunting lodge. It is considered a Folly 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 cuisine restaurant. The stolen Ford Anglia featured in the Harry Potter films was found at the Castle in 2006. 50°13′20.85″N 5°14′41.40″W / 50.2224583°N 5.2448333°W / 50.2224583; -5.2448333 (Carn Brea Castle)
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 (27m) Celtic cross. This is a monument to Francis Basset, 1st Baron de Dunstanville and Basset (1757-1835). Basset, a mine owner, gained his titles for erecting earthworks to defend Plymouth 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 / 50.22111°N 5.24889°W / 50.22111; -5.24889 (Basset Cross)
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 / 50.22111°N 5.24833°W / 50.22111; -5.24833 (Sacrificing Rock)
Smugglers' Cave
Smugglers' Cave
In a depression between the Monument and the Castle are the remains of the Smugglers' Cave, blocked by the Council in the 1980s with rocks to stop children entering. This tunnel is rumoured to extend from the top of the Carn down into Redruth town, but it is probably an abandoned mine workings. It may have been confused with another tunnel from the castle down to St Uny’s church which was blocked off for safety reasons around 1970 by the castle owners. 50°13′19″N 5°14′50″W / 50.22194°N 5.24722°W / 50.22194; -5.24722 (Smugglers' Cave)
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 Missionary 500AD". Stories about the sacred use of this well may be confused with St Euny's Well at Sancreed (see Carn Euny).

Events

Easter
At Easter Redruth Baptist Church erects a lit cross on the outcrop behind the Castle overlooking Redruth. For many years a Christian sunrise service has been held on Easter Sunday.
Midsummer Eve
The Midsummer Eve (St. John's Eve, 23 June) bonfire ceremony originated as a pagan ritual. Prayers are read in Cornish and the bonfire is lit, signalling other fires to be lit at Sennen, Sancreed Beacon, Carn Galver to the Tamar. When only the embers remain, young people leap across them to drive away evil and bring luck.
Boxing Day
The Boxing Day meet of the Four Burrow Hunt starts at the top of Carn Brea. Due to the changes in fox hunting legislation foxes are no longer hunted.

See also

Footnotes

  1. Ordnance Survey: Landranger map sheet 203 Land's End ISBN 978-0-319-23148-7
  2. ^ Mercer, R.J. (1972). "The Excavation of the Neolithic Settlement, Carn Brea". Cornish Archaeology. 11. Cornwall Archaeological Society.
  3. Mercer, R.J. (1970). "The Neolithic Settlement on Carn Brea: Preliminary Report". Cornish Archaeology. 9. Cornwall Archaeological Society: pp54–62. {{cite journal}}: |pages= has extra text (help)
  4. "About Carn Brea", Carn Brea Protection Group. Retrieved 2007-08-20.
  5. "Pictures of Carn Brea", Parish of Saint Illogan. Retrieved 2007-08-20.
  6. "Carn Brea Castle", Follies and Monuments, FollyTowers.com. Retrieved 2007-08-20.
  7. "Carn Brea Castle, Redruth - Cornwall", Restaurants in Cornwall, EatOutCornwall.com. Retrieved 2007-08-20.
  8. "The Scotsman: Harry Potter's stolen car appears at castle". The Scotsman Publications Ltd. 19 May 2006. Retrieved 2006-10-30.
  9. "Some frauds of a very peculiar and extensive nature have been discovered". The Times. 18 July 1829. p. 4.
  10. "The Bassets of Tehidy", Cornish History Reference Files, CornishWorld.net. Retrieved 2007-08-20.
  11. "Parliamentary Intelligence, House of Lords". The Times. 3 June 1828.
  12. As shown by the stone inscription on the south of the monument. See inscription text on Basset Cross photograph
  13. "Tuesday's Post". Jackson's Oxford Journal. 17 September 1836. A chaste and elegant monument from the chisel of Westmacott put up in parish of Illogan, Cornwall, to the memory of the late Lord De Dunstanville
  14. Curran, Bob (2005). Celtic Lore & Legend: meet the gods, heroes, kings, fairies, monsters and ghosts of yore. New Page Books. p. 36. ISBN 1-56414-786-X.
  15. (Tangye 1981)
  16. (Historic Environment Service 2006, p. 3)
  17. Noall, Cyril (1963). The Cornish Midsummer Eve bonfire celebrations. Federation of Old Cornwall Societies. Publications. Federation of Old Cornwall Societies. OCLC 30233069.
  18. "Bridgewater Mercury: This could be the last time". Newsquest Media Group. 3 January 2003. Retrieved 2006-10-30.
  19. "Smallholder: Ban? What Ban?". Newsquest Media Group. 28 December 2005. Retrieved 2006-10-30.

References

External links

Map all coordinates using OpenStreetMap

Download coordinates as:

Cornwall Ceremonial county of Cornwall
Cornwall Portal
Unitary authorities
Major settlements
(cities in italics)
Rivers
Topics
Civil parishes of Camborne and Redruth constituency
Cornwall
Cornwall Portal
Categories: