More information : (SW 90893880) Earthwork (NR). (1)
"The Ringarounds" at Gwendra; an Iron Age fort with two outstanding
ramparts and traces of a third bank at a considerable distance.
The inner rampart encloses an area some 180 feet in diameter. (2-4)
"Veryan Castle" - a well-preserved circular camp on a steep
hill slope. (for further details, see illustration card). (5)
Strong ringwork in a marked downhill position. The site is very
remote. (6)
This earthwork is known to its owners, the National Trust (who quote
their scheduling list Cornwall 612) as "Veryan Castle".
The earthwork lies on a projecting spur on the east side of a deep,
steep sided valley, at 75m above OD. It consists of a sub-circular,
level terrace, 70.0m north to south, 45.0m east to west and 0.3 ha
in area, which is cut back into the natural slope on the east, to
a depth of 3.5m. On the west the steep natural slope has been
accentuated to form a scarp, up to 7.5m high, at base of which is
a bench 4.0m wide. Along the south west rim of the circular terrace
is the slightest suggestion of a bank; possibly the remains of a
palisade footing. On the east is a 'U' shaped ditch, 12.0m wide
and up to 2.6m deep; and the remains of two outer works. The inner
of these consists of an inward facing scarp 1.5m high, surmounted
by a modern hedgebank. The outer work consists of a ploughed out
ditch, about 8.0m wide and 0.5m deep, with a suggestion of a bank
on the inner side.
The entrance, 8.0m wide, to the terrace is on the south side and
is not developed. There are no visible traces of features in the
interior. The inner works are in a very good condition.
The downhill siting of this earthwork, makes it s defences very
poor; all three works are overlooked and only on the west would
the scarp, albeit without a bank, prove effective. The most
noticeable feature is the cutting of the almost horizontal,
level terrace, and to a lesser degree, the innermost ditch on the
east, which does not have a corresponding bank. The
implication that it is medieval, purported by "Chateau Gaillard"
cannot be sustained and the work would appear to be a classic
example of a "round" but with additional defensive works.
1:2500 survey revised on AO Model. (7)
This site has always been known as Ringarounds, not Veryan Castle. (8)
Veryan Castle, Scheduled, National Number 32939. (9) |