For important guidance on the use of this record, please click here.

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Summary

Remains of a possible prehistoric enclosure first recorded by William of Worcester in 1478.

Protected Status: None recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Mapping Programme (Morph No.): 1051.30
• Primary Record No. (1985-2009): 29363
• SMR No. (OS Quarter-sheet and SMR No.): SW53SE 49

Monument Type(s):

• ENCLOSURE (Bronze Age - 2500 BC to 801 BC)
• ENCLOSURE (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)

Full description

William of Worcester referred to a "ruined fort of Godolphin" in 1478 (b4). Leland described "Carne Godolcan, on the top of a hille, wher is a ditch & there was a pile & principal habition of the Godolcans. The ditch yet apperith, & many stones of late time hath beene fetchid ther..." (b3). Thomas, writing in the 1850s, recorded a "round about top of (Godolphin) Hill - many stones fixed up - some kind of station, though does not appear to be fortified" (b1). Note that the apparent lack of strong defences may be due to extensive robbing as Leland described. Henderson noted that it "seemed as if a wall once enclosed hilltop - with ditch. On the south and east the wall line marked by bank of earth with upright stones at intervals. Within there are clear traces of six hut circles" (see 29363.01) (b2). Wells suggested the site is a possible hillfort as the topographical situation on an exposed hilltop would be unusual for a round (h1). Johnson and Rose note that it is not yet convincing that there is an enclosure but the area is badly overgrown with gorse and bracken. They visited when the bracken was high and recommend that the site should be looked at again (h2). Two thirds of the perimeter of a curvilinear banked enclosure, 82m across, are visible on aerial photographs (p1-p3) on the top of Godolphin Hill. It was plotted during the Cornwall NMP. The enclosure was included in the Godolphin Survey which was carried out by CAU in 1997-98 (site 1). It was considered likely to be early prehistoric (Neolithic or Bronze Age) in date.

--------------------------------
Site history:
1: 1975. WELLS, A / CAS
2: 1980. JOHNSON, N AND ROSE, PG
--------------------------------

<1> Thomas, R, 1851, Letters to the West Briton, NO 34 (Article in newspaper). SCO4699.

RAF, 1946, 3GTUDUK209PTIV 5366-7 (Photographic Record). SCO11615.

<2> Henderson, C, 1914, Notebooks of Parochial Antiquities, VOL II, 229-230 (Unpublished document). SCO3503.

NMR, 1979, SW5931/2/109-116 (Photographic Record). SCO16656.

<3> Leland, 1967, Early Tours in Devon and Cornwall (Bibliographic reference). SCO3860.

CAU, 1997, F51/174 (Photographic Record). SCO18786.

<4> Harvey, J (Ed), 1969, Itineraries of William of Worcestre (Bibliographic reference). SCO3466.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• ECO2755 - Godolphin House, Cornwall

Related records

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.