• Bashed Bridge of the Month • Mystery on Rough Tor
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1 FROM YOUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS AN UPDATE FROM CORNWALL ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY’S AREA REPRESENTATIVES Any opinions or errors in these articles are those of the authors and must not be assumed to be those of Cornwall Archaeological Society. MARCH 2019 Issue 28 This month: BASHED BRIDGE OF THE MONTH MYSTERY ON ROUGH TOR AREA REPS’ MEETING HULL DISCOVERED AT LAST - STONEHENGE EXPLAINED! GUIDESTONES RESTORED BASHED BRIDGE OF THE MONTH It was never intended that this should become a regular feature but sadly our reliance on motor transport is not only harming air quality but is also a threat to some important historic monuments. This month’s victim, once again, is Trekelland Bridge (Listed Building (II*) 68430, in Lewannick parish), ironically described on Heritage Gateway as ‘one of the best preserved and most beautiful of Cornish bridges’ (https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=MCO9740&resourceID=10 20). Rosy Hann’s photos (see below) show the latest damage. The January edition of From Your Own Correspondent illustrated the rapid and skilful repairs made by Cormac following another collision with the structure. How dispiriting it must be to have to revisit it yet again to carry out more repairs! 2 Photo: Rosy Hanns Photo: Rosy Hanns MYSTERY ON ROUGH TOR Adrian Rodda has sent this report about a puzzling recent feature on Rough Tor (St Breward parish): Photo: Adrian Rodda 3 The walk across the saddle from Little Rough Tor towards the highest point takes you to an outcrop and then a flat area before the highest tor. This outcrop has a natural cave which you pass on your climb. I always look into it because it illustrates the late Roger Farnworth’s idea that Bodmin Moor needed no quoits because there were natural caves in which to deposit bones and plenty of high points to lay out bodies for excarnation. I am not sure what I expect to see, but I certainly did not expect to find a carefully laid floor with stones of a variety of sizes chosen to fit well together. I am almost certain that I looked into it on my last visit in June 2018 and found no floor. Area Reps, David and Linda Edyvean, who also enjoy walking on Roughtor, had no recollection of it. Photo: Adrian Rodda The whole of the summit of Roughtor is scheduled and protected. There are a few stones scattered on the saddle, but plenty of scree below the Neolithic walls on each long flank of the hill. More concerning is that the stones may have been chosen and carried over from the walls themselves. The enclosure walls are made up by filling the spaces between natural outcrops (tors) with a line of upright stones and rubble amassed to connect the uprights. This style of building is replicated on Carn Brea, Trencrom, Carn Galva and Stowe’s Pound 4 and identifies them as Neolithic enclosures in contrast to the soil banks and ditches around Iron Age hillforts. We are aware of the “fairy castles”, where stones are balanced in a pile, and of cairns built by walkers who just want to contribute a rock to a mound, regardless of how it changes the landscape and profile of the hill top. On Stowe’s Pound the rocks are often robbed from the enclosure walls, disturbing the archaeology of the site. But who would have gone to all this trouble to build a floor of carefully fitted stones? What purpose did they intend for the cave? Surely it is too far from the sea for smugglers? It is too high for lambing and too uncomfortable for “courting”. Might it be part of the apprentice training of a Cornish hedger? Adrian Rodda AREA REPS’ MEETING CAS Area Reps meet twice a year at Wheal Martyn Museum, near St Austell. Once again our ever patient Convenor, Iain Rowe, presided over a roomful of enthusiasts and professionals. Much news, both good and bad, about archaeological features the length and breadth of the county was reported but lack of space means that only a sample can be reported here. Richard Heard noted with sadness that some Anglican churches in the far north of Cornwall had been closed, or were about to be. Other important buildings, unfortunately not Listed, were subject to planning applications. It was a reminder that buildings can be taken for granted and if their historical importance is not accompanied by some form of protection they can too easily be lost. Similarly, china-clay dries, or pan kilns, once so numerous, appear to be dwindling. Iain Rowe described how an important pan kiln at Moorswater near Liskeard had been quickly and thoughtlessly demolished. Val Jacob was very concerned about the deterioration of the once-impressive china-stone mill at St Stephen-in-Brannel. Sheila James drew everyone’s attention to the variable quality of Impact Assessments that accompany planning applications. Sometimes they miss or underestimate the effect on heritage features that new building might entail. In many cases it might be worthwhile challenging them, something which has been made easier with the information available on Cornwall Council’s superb online mapping site (https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/community-and- living/mapping/). Details relating to planning applications may be found at: http://planning.cornwall.gov.uk/online- applications/?utm_source=website&utm_medium=planningregisterlink&utm_campaign=planning . Peter Crispin was able to provide photographic evidence of damage caused by 4x4 vehicles on Bodmin Moor. Sadly, this is seen elsewhere: in Luxulyan Valley forays by motor cyclists cause damage and represent a danger to the public. 5 There was plenty of good news too. Andrew Langdon has been busy restoring and repairing medieval crosses all over Cornwall. Sean Taylor sent a report of investigations at Newhouse Farm by a group called In Search of Tywardreath which shed new light on the building and, just possibly, link it to the medieval priory. Steve Hebdige and Sheila Harper, and their indefatigable band of scrub-bashers from Newquay Old Cornwall Society (http://www.oldcornwall.net/newquay-ocs/4576249804 and https://en- gb.facebook.com/newquayhistory/), had carried out work at a number of sites, as these photos show: Trevornick Holy Well (Cubert parish) Before: Photo: Steve Hebdige After: Photo: Steve Hebdige Steve’s photo below shows that the placement of larger stones on the edge of Cubert barrow has restricted idiots driving over it in 4x4 vehicles: Photo: Steve Hebdige 6 Samantha Barnes, Historic England Listing Adviser – West gave a fascinating presentation about Listing Buildings and Scheduling Monuments. The National Heritage List for England (NHLE) includes: Listed Buildings; Scheduled Monuments; Registered Parks and Gardens; Registered Battlefields; and Protected Wrecks. World Heritage Sites were also included. There is an online searchable website: https://historicengland.org.uk/advice/hpg/heritage- assets/nhle/. Cornwall has the highest number of Scheduled Monuments in the south-west. In all, the county has 97,502 designated assets. That doesn’t mean that everything that needs protecting has been Listed (the term encompasses Listing and Scheduling), so if you know of places that merit such protection you can get clear, accessible advice at https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/selection-criteria/listing-selection/ and https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/selection-criteria/scheduling-selection/ihas- archaeology/ . Nomination is confidential and your name will not be released. Sam also drew attention to a wonderful opportunity to add information about monuments and buildings: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/enrich-the-list/. All you have to do is to apply for a Heritage Passport at: https://services.historicengland.org.uk/passportserver/registration.aspx?app_id=1f8fb93f- 56a7-4c10-91e4-6e9d04cbf7aa); check the terms and conditions, as well as the instructions; locate a site; add photos or other comments. Here are two more wonderful sites recommended by Sam: England’s Places has an online searchable database of photographs: https://historicengland.org.uk/images-books/photos/englands-places/. Britain from Above is also very useful: https://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/map?country=england&year=all&view=map#3,2153 18,39129 Chris Coldwell provided an update on Cornwall AONB’s exciting Scheduled Monument Project. An application has been made to the Heritage Lottery Fund. If successful, much needed resources will be available to monitor, repair and conserve Scheduled Monuments in the AONB. Chris also told us about the intriguing Kerdroya (Cornish Landscape Labyrinth) Community Hedge Project which will mark 60 years of the Cornwall AONB and will be run by Golden Tree Productions. In 2019 a section of hedge will be restored in each of the AONB’s 12 sectors (see: http://www.cornwall-aonb.gov.uk/kerdroya). Lastly, if you are going to this year’s Royal Cornwall Show, make sure you visit the Cornwall AONB exhibition, which is being shared with various heritage groups, including CAS. Cornwall Council’s online mapping site is without doubt one of the wonders of the modern world, yet still manages to get bigger, cleverer and better. Francis Shepherd, Strategic Historic Environment Officer, Cornwall Council, gave a thorough demonstration of how to get the best out of this superb public resource: https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/community- and-living/mapping/. 7 Our day finished with a tour around Wheal Martyn Museum led by Ann Preston-Jones of Historic England, who pointed out the various challenges involved in the conservation of a complex industrial site. The museum is located in a china clay processing works in which all stages of the post-extraction phase, as carried out in the later 19th century and early 20th century, can be seen. The Wheal Martyn Trust has secured an award of £858,400 from the Heritage Lottery Fund towards its £1.35m Clay Works Project.