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

A large circular courtyard house with the addition of a rectangular building within the larger chamber.

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument CO500: Settlement S of beehive hut

Other References/Statuses

• Cornwall SURVEY NAME (temporary): NT 91164, CCRA 84
• National Mapping Programme (Morph No.): 291.5
• OS No. (OS Quarter-sheet and OS No.): SW43NW 43.1
• Primary Record No. (1985-2009): 30690
• SHINE Candidate (Yes)
• SMR No. (OS Quarter-sheet and SMR No.): SW43NW 52

Monument Type(s):

• COURTYARD HOUSE (Iron Age - 800 BC to 42 AD)
• COURTYARD HOUSE (Romano British - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Full description

The MOW in 1956 record a settlement south of the beehive hut (30734) at Bosporthennis, prior to scheduling in 1958. A large circular hut with walls 2.4m thick and an internal diameter of about 6.7m. Beside it a roughly rectangular hut of dry stone walling (30690.1), Also remains of a smaller building within a roughly circular enclosure and two small croft like fields attached (h1, b1). The OS who surveyed the site in 1960 at 1:2500 record the remains of two contiguous enclosures, bounded by a bank of earth and stones 1.6m high, but with a dry stone retaining wall visible in places. The wall is well preserved on the inside of the larger, most easterly enclosure, the east side of which is incorporated in the modern field wall. From the plan of this double enclosure and its method of construction, it is concluded that it is a courtyard house, modified during later occupation by the addition of a rectangular building within the larger chamber (30690.1) (h2). Russell in 1971 lists the courtyard house in her entry for the courtyard house settlement to the west of the beehive hut (30733) (b2). The OS resurveyed at 1:2500 in 1975 and record a single courtyard house, rather mutilated by the unique adaption to accommodate what is almost a medieval hut (h3). The site was planned at 1:200 by CCRA in 1983. Walls are faced inside and out and are generally well preserved. The original entrance in the courtyard was possibly in the south-east where two jambs survive; if so it has been blocked. The entrance in the north-west is probably recent, associated with the rectangular building which was considered to be post-medieval (see 30690.1). The well preserved room to the west of the rectangular hut is oval approx 7.4m by 5.9m with a recent gap to its north-west and an original one to its east. A long room is built into the east wall and there is an irregular chamber immediately to its north-west. A modern stile climbs out of the courtyard on its inner south wall, confirming that the walling has been refurbished, presumably when the rectangular building was being used (h6, b4-b6, b8). The site is visible on air photographs (p1- p3) and was plotted for the NMP. The monument is included in the Schedule.

--------------------------------
Site history:
1: 1956. SAUNDERS, AD / MOW
2: 1960. PITCHER, GH / OS
3: 1975. QUINNELL, NV / OS
4: 1981. SHEPPARD, PA / DOE
5: 1985. SHEPPARD, PA / DOE
6: 1983. NDJ, APJ / CCRA
--------------------------------

<1> Saunders, A (for DOE), 1956, Scheduled Monument Description (Bibliographic reference). SCO5179.

NMR, 1977, SW 4433/4/46 (Photographic Record). SCO16141.

<2> Russell, V, 1971, West Penwith Survey, 54 (Bibliographic reference). SCO4314.

NMR, 1977, SW4335/2/448 (Photographic Record). SCO16253.

<3> Sheppard, PA (for DOE), 19--, Scheduled Monument Description (Bibliographic reference). SCO5181.

CAU, 1988, F15/99 (Photographic Record). SCO17186.

<4> Cornwall Archaeological Unit, Field Drawing (GRE), GRE 1047 (Cartographic materials). SCO5089.

<5> Cornwall Archaeological Unit, 198-, Drawing Archive, Hanging (GRH), GRH 62211 & 2 (Cartographic materials). SCO5088.

<6> CAU, 1984, Field Survey Context Card, 84 (Bibliographic reference). SCO5175.

<7> Sheppard, PA (for DOE), 19--, Scheduled Monument Description (Bibliographic reference). SCO5181.

<8> Nowakowski, JA, 1987, Bosporthennis, West Penwith, Zennor, 45, 53, FIG 20 (Bibliographic reference). SCO4015.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• ECO2352 - Courtyard House Survey

Related records

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