More information : [Area centred: SW 3615 2715] " ... I found at Escalls
... a cairn surrounded by a double ring of stones. One side of
the area of it was almost entirely taken up by a natural rock
protruding through the surface. On the southern side a large rock
covered a cist 3' long by 1'6" wide, in which nothing was
discovered but a few flint chips and 2 limpet shells. Outside this
grave, however, at its southern end a little urn was found full
of black earth and ashes, and ornamented with a double chevron
pattern arranged round the rim. In form it is barrel-shaped, and
it has two unperforated cleats, on one either side. It had been
placed mouth downwards, is 5" high 4" diameter at the base, and
3 1/2" at the mouth. The pottery is dark and thin. In the very
centre of this cairn, but not in the grave were taken up several
fragments of British pottery of the more specially domestic or
culinary type, such as are found in the hut villages. The repeated
occurrence of these in the tumuli is worthy of note in connection
with the date of the interments." (1)
Cairn at Escolls Cliff Sennen. Cinerary urn Height 5 1/2". In
Truro Museum. [See AO/59/381/7]. (2)
Urn inverted in cist in barrow containing ring of stones. Class
C, Ribbon-handled II, Middle Bronze Age. Decoration in MBA Style
but shaped in older native tradition. Early in the series. [Further
details of urn aregiven] (3)
The stones that form the cist now lie prostrate and broken. The
barrow is by a pile of rocks on a little plateau. There are
traces of a similar barrow on a similar site a few yards to the
south. (4)
Sited by Miss Russell to SW 36162721 (5)
A 25 inch survey has been made of the barrow at SW 3622 2722.
It is situated on the summit of a natural mound near the cliff
top.
The barrow is in poor condition and consists of a mound of earth
0.7m high, and a mutilated circle of retaining stones. Three
stones in the north west sector and set on edge and appear to be
in situ but the remainder are recumbent. There is no trace of
a cist within the barrow.
No trace of the second barrow, as described by Henderson, could
be found south of the first. There is, however, a crescentic bank
0.4m high, 12.0m to the north east of the barrow, at SW 36232723.
This is the only feature which could possibly be the remains of a
barrow within this area. (This is probably the feature seen by
Henderson who is often grossly inaccurate in his use of the
cardinal points). (6)
On the Corr 6" sheet Miss Dudley sites a 'Tumulus - ruined at
SW 36052709. There is no sign of a barrow in this area and when
interviewed she confirmed that her siting was an error for the
Escalls Cliff barrow. (7)
SW 36192720 Cairn over natural rock surrounded by double
retaining wall. An outside cist in which a Middle Bronze Age
urn was found is now a mound with a retaining wall.
SW 36202721 Mound (Henderson (4) given as authority). (8)
At SW 36222722 are the remains of an earth and stone cairn. It
has an overall diameter of 10m and is from 0.3m to 0.5m high,
with a flattish top 7m across. The protruding natural rock
described by Borlase cannot be seen, nor can his cist be identified,
and there seems nothing to support Miss Russell's view that
it was "outside".
A half dozen boulders and blocks form a sort of oval kerb, the
largest 2m long, 0.7m thick and 0.6m high, while on the south side
three small contiguous stones may represent the remains of an
outer kerb (see enlargement sketch).
Henderson's second barrow cannot be seen, and the faint scarp
recorded by Auth 6 bears no resemblance to a barrow.
OS 25" survey of cairn amended. (9)
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