NEWSLETTER 140 FEBRUARY 2016 Registered Charity No
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Registered Charity No. 105565 NEWSLETTER 140 FEBRUARY 2016 Registered Charity No. 1055654 Midsummer Sunset at Lanyon Quoit. Photo copyright James Kitto THE PRESIDENT’S PIECE – Nick Johnson This is an extraordinarily busy time for the Society: replacing our Hon Secretary; building a new website; meetings with the Federation of Old Cornwall Societies, Heritage Kernow, and the CITiZAN project as well as the Area Representatives meeting; talks in Truro on the CITiZAN Project, the Royal Cornwall Museum and the Members evening; and in Liskeard about the Tamar Valley, and Restormel Castle; walks at Lizard, in Penwith and St Agnes; last but by no means least our CAS/DAS symposium. Development of the new CAS website is now complete and went live on 31 October. None of this would have been possible without the hard work of Adrian Rodda, Sheila James, Millie Holman, Emma Trevarthen, Christine Wilson, and Steve Hartgroves. The Website Panel now stands down but would like to record their thanks to our consultants Dominica Williamson(design) and Paula Johnson(software) for their sound advice and imaginative interpretation of our often technologically incoherent requests. The website is being tested over the Christmas period and included with this Newsletter is a slip of paper with the password for 2016 that will allow Members to access the Members Area on the website. Please keep this password confidential. Gradually more information will be added to the Members Area and in line with data protection best practice we shall no longer publish the contact details of our officers in the Journal and the Newsletter. Instead we now have generic CAS e-mail addresses for our officers ([email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] and there will be others added). Our postal address is now: Cornwall Archaeological Society, c/o Royal Cornwall Museum, River St, Truro, Cornwall TR1 2SJ. You will note that an interactive calendar of events appears on each page as does our Facebook and Twitter accounts. Social media is now an important means of communicating archaeological news. Millie Holman, our Web Manager will help us use the new site to our best advantage. The CAS/DAS symposium on 31 October seeing the late Roger Farnworth’s particular method of indicating was at Eagle House, Launceston was packed photographs of viewing frames on Bodmin employed, but how can one explain why with c.120 attendees. The lecture Moor I was convinced that such things so many stones now seem to indicate programme was exceptionally successful, could be found in the far west as well. nothing very obvious at all? One monster managing to blend the overview with the of the order of magnitude of 100 tonnes particular across the South West. The Carn Galva is the most dramatic rocky tor sits mute and inscrutable on the Zennor organization was excellent, and feedback in Penwith, a Roughtor rough equivalent, Carn looking to the Atlantic close below. from those attending was very positive so its vicinity seemed a promising place indeed. I would like to thank Konstanze, for a view frame. I was delighted to find CAS Penwith Walk, Nov 15 with Roger, Adrian, Christine, Jenny Beale, one of these curiosities looking directly David Giddings. Anna, and Mandy and John Eversett for towards the highest summit of Carn Galva their hard work, often behind the scenes, and then to note that immediately adjacent Fifteen or so hardy souls gathered near but particularly Henrietta and Andy for lay a propped stone. Both features are Bosiliack farm and splashed out to Ding putting together both an interesting and about 75m north of the tor at Little Galva; Dong sett where the promised Pont du balanced programme whilst also giving follow the ridge path and you probably not Gard turned out to be a raised leat for talks themselves. In autumn 2016 our miss them. powering Greenburrow stamps. From conference will be a round up of Cornish there it was a short squelch to the View frames are more readily explicable archaeological research with a particular beginning of a likely ceremonial way: a then propped stones. To be an emphasis on West Penwith. large cairn with an inner curb. Next, in a archaeological artefact a rock formation slight saddle, the Nine Maidens, a partially has to be created rather than be a chance, We are delighted to welcome Sophie restored circle with its three largest stones natural disposition of rocks. From the Meyer on becoming our new Hon to the north side, came into view. Another photograph the top stone, to the left, Secretary in early November, following cairn lay just outside the ring and to the which completes the covered triangular Roger’s retirement. We hope very much NNW the stump of a menhir and then two opening, appears to have been placed. that she enjoys this role. Trustees voted further cairns along this crowded ridge. unanimously to recognise the outstanding Our leader was unable to find much in the work that Roger has carried out for the way of alignments or solar significance. Society over the last five years by making him an Honorary Life member. We shall all have a chance to show our appreciation of Roger’s contribution at the AGM in April. The AGM promises to be an important occasion. We shall be addressed by George Eustice, MP for Camborne, Redruth and Hayle and Minister of State at DEFRA. He comes from a well-known local farming family (Trevaskis Farm). He The viewframe looking towards Carn has in the past expressed his support for Galva. the careful stewardship of our special historic environment and distinctive landscape, and is a vocal supporter of the Nine Maidens Circle. Photo Kathy Conder. Cornish Mining World Heritage Site. We have asked him to reflect on the The view to Carn Galva was very fine but importance of the historic environment to seemed to be detached from the circle Cornwall and Scilly and how devolution of and the menhir; the cairns were neither responsibilities to Cornwall may aligned with each other nor with the Carn; encourage the protection of this fragile the midsummer sunset would be close to resource, not only for its own sake but the less spectacular Watch Croft to the also as a means of strengthening NW, but had no obvious relationship with community identity and the local economy. the ridge features; the larger stones of the As a Cornishman, a local MP and as a Nine Maidens do not frame Carn Galva or member of the Government he has a The propped stone at Little Galva looking point to any clear solar event. Even the unique insight into local sensitivities and towards Carn Galva. evident alignment from circle to menhir to pressures as well as Government hopes large cairn at the NNW end of the ridge and intentions. Come along and judge for Framing devices direct the eye towards appeared to have no bearing on the yourself. the significant feature but, more than that, topography. However, what the fact that many for generations have archaeological riches and what a view! knelt and gazed from the same spot, Little Galva Propped Stone enhances the experience of what is Then we slipped and slid northwards over and Viewframe. signified. Propped stones, on the other a path recently opened by grazing belted hand, are deeply mysterious. Some are Galloways to Little Galva where we were Area rep for Penwith, David Giddings, less so than others; the Little Galva one introduced to the mystery of the propped writes an account of his recent discoveries for instance, which directs the eye towards stone and the view-frame. (See separate and the walk he led to view them. Carn Galva, and Dot Blackman’s article above.) discovery on Carn Galva, which gapes Inspired by the late Tony Blackman, I towards Watch Croft, the be-cairned From the Little Galva ridge we descended have been hunting for propped stones and highest point of Penwith. Of course it into the Bosporthennis valley with its have come up with a fair number. After would be interesting to know why this extraordinary range of farming and settlement traces from later prehistory. valley with, to them, incredibly ancient sessions, as well as an annual Some round houses and courtyard houses monuments such as Mulfra Quoit and the conference. Training sessions will include are bisected by walls constructed during Nine Maidens at the edge of their world. lectures and workshops, off-site archival the C19th moorland intake but a proto- research, guided walks and on-site courtyard house has remained pretty well As an end to an interesting day there was recording. It is hoped that some intact. Adjacent to a mire at the bottom of more delight, apart from a very muddy participants or groups will ‘adopt’ a coastal the valley slope we found the famous path to regain the moor. At a point on the site and carry out long-term monitoring. beehive hut and close by a more gentle ascent the three largest stones of elaborate courtyard house, where we took the Nine Maidens came into view, The project plans to look at a different lunch. Afterwards we crossed both the improbably tall and black against the theme for each month from May to fossilised and ploughed down traces of uniform greyness of the sky. This must September next year: the late prehistoric field system to arrive at surely have been the direction of the stream with its vestiges of tin stream approach, from the North East and not the ñ May – ships – hulks and wrecks working. Nearby, our leader claimed in a “ceremonial way” from the SSE.