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Summary

Intensive post-Roman occupation, early Medieval field systems, the chapel should pre-date the castle by several centuries.

Protected Status: None recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Primary Record No. (1985-2009): 23165.20

Monument Type(s):

• OCCUPATION SITE (Early Medieval - 410 AD to 1065 AD)

Full description

Three areas of the lower ward of Tintagel castle were excavated by Hartgroves in 1986 prior to the commencent of a stabilization programme of the castle wall. The trenches revealed a steeply sloping buried land surface some 3.0M from the face of the wall suggesting the back of a terrace cut into the sheltered East face of the promontory on which there had been intensive post-Roman occupation. This phase was identified at the base of a fourth trench along the outer face of the wall which revealed a complex clay oven of Roman type with traces of five succesive floor levels. A further two hearths were found at different levels, along with animal bone, glass and metal fragments and stratified finds of sixth century imported pottery. Cut into the subsoil, partly sealed by the oven and hearths, more than a hundred stake - holes indicated the presence of post - Roman wooden structures (h9, b14). The results of a small excavation below the island ward by Appleton in 1988 (h11) and subsequent interpretation of the layers and finds, taken with Radford's discoveries of 1933 - 38 (h1) and those of the 1981 excavation by CEU (h4) suggests a major dark age focus underlying the inner ward. Thomas concludes that occupation was intensive and that if the site was deserted after AD 600, a turf - line built up over six centuries until the enclosure of the hollow with retaining walls and the levelling of the area to build the hall took place (b16). In 1985 the south terrace and southern one third of the plateau of the island was burnt and the topsoil and undergrowth destroyed and eroded away. This revealed a large number of huts and evidence for a field system was found. A field system by RCHME (h7) revealed that the remains were exclusively Early Medieval, of "Cadcong" type, and pottery found indicated that the area had not been in use during the Medieval part of occupation (b11). The chapel (23165.55), Dedicated to St Juletta or St Juliot, a Celtic saint, with its large granite base of the altar top and parts of a slate front panel with a cross incised on it, should pre - date the castle by several centuries and suggests an original stucture was an isolated foundation on the island in perhaps the tenth century (b12). The monument was included in the Schedule on 9/10/1981 and the scheduling updated on 18/11/1996.

--------------------------------
Site history:
2: 1976. QUINNELL, NV / OS
3: 1976. SHEPPARD, PA / DOE
5: 1982. DARK, K / UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD
7: 1984. RCHME
8: 1985. PRESTON JONES, A AND HARTGROVES, S / CAU
10: 1986. THOMAS, C / RCHME
12: 1988. THORPE, C / CAU
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<1> Leland, J, 1535, The Itinerary of John Leland (Bibliographic reference). SCO3862.

<2> Carew, R, 1969, The Survey of Cornwall 1602, 191 (Bibliographic reference). SCO3044.

<3> Wilkinson, JJ, 1871, Tintagel Castle, VOL 3, 231 (Article in Journal). SCO5049.

<4> WHITLEY, HM, 1885, NOTES ON GRENVILLE'S PLOT OF TINTAGEL CASTLE (Unedited Source). SCO6437.

<5> Ordnance Survey, 1900s, 2nd Edition 6 Inch Map (Cartographic materials). SCO4051.

<6> Radford, CAR, 1935, Tintagel, Castle and Monastery, VOL 15, 4, 415 (Article in Journal). SCO5143.

<7> Ordnance Survey, 1970s, 1:10,000 OS Map (Cartographic materials). SCO4045.

<8> Radford, CAR, 1935, Tintagel Castle (DOE Guide) (Bibliographic reference). SCO4214.

<9> Thomas, AC, 1981, A Provisional List of Imported Pottery from Post Roman Western Britain & Ireland (Bibliographic reference). SCO4597.

<10> Browse, RG, 1982, Tintagel Castle, VOL 21, 189-190 (Article in Journal). SCO2926.

<11> Thomas, AC, 1984, Tintagel Site Report, 25/5/1984 (Bibliographic reference). SCO4640.

<12> THOMAS, AC, 1986, TINTAGEL CASTLE (ENGLISH HERITAGE GUIDE BOOK) (Unedited Source). SCO8852.

<14> Hartgroves, S & Walker, R, 1989, Excavations in the Lower Ward, Tintagel Castle, 1986 (Cornish Studies No.16, 1988), VOL 16, 9-30 (Cornwall Event Report). SCO5116.

<15> Thomas, AC, 1988, Minor Sites at Tintagel Island, VOL 16, 31-48 (Article in Journal). SCO4627.

<16> Thomas, AC, 1988, Cau Excavations at Tintagel Island in 1988, VOL 16, 49-60 (Article in Journal). SCO4600.

<17> Padel, OJ, 1988, Tintagel in the Twelfth and Thirteenth Centuries, VOL 16, 61-66 (Article in Journal). SCO5135.

<18> O'Mahoney, C, 1988, Medieval Pottery from Tintagel: a Summary, VOL 16, 69-78 (Article in Journal). SCO4040.

<19> Thorpe, C, 1988, Incised Pictorial Slates at Tintagel, VOL 16, 69-78 (Article in Journal). SCO4717.

<20> THOMAS, AC, 1989, LECTURE TO CAS, 20 JAN 1989 (Unedited Source). SCO8919.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Finds

• FCO2542 - ALTAR (Early Medieval - 410 AD to 1065 AD)
• FCO2540 - ANIMAL REMAINS (Early Medieval - 410 AD to 1065 AD)
• FCO3653 - Carved Stone (Early Medieval - 410 AD to 1065 AD)
• FCO3652 - SHERD (Early Medieval - 410 AD to 1065 AD)
• FCO2541 - UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT (Early Medieval - 410 AD to 1065 AD)
• FCO3651 - UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT (Early Medieval - 410 AD to 1065 AD)

Associated Events: none recorded

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