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Summary

A single courtyard house occupied during the second and third phases of occupational activity at Goldherring.

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument CO263: Goldherring British village

Other References/Statuses

• Heritage at Risk (National): English Heritage, South West
• OS No. (OS Quarter-sheet and OS No.): SW42NW 38
• Primary Record No. (1985-2009): 16046.01
• SHINE Candidate (Yes)
• SMR No. (OS Quarter-sheet and SMR No.): SW42NW 22

Monument Type(s):

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

Full description

Partly excavated by Guthrie in a campaign of excavations from 1959 to 1962 for West Cornwall Field Club (h1). Surveyed by the OS in 1960 (h2) and sketch surveyed by Sharpe for CAU in 1985 (h4, b7, b8). A field visit by Fletcher for the OS in 1985 noted how overgrown the site was (h5). Guthrie showed a single courtyard house with round room, two long rooms and a small oval chamber which saw two periods of occupation (b6). This aspect of the settlement was occupied during Phases 2-3 of occupational activity on site; dating from 3rd-4th centuries AD to 5th-6th centuries (b6). The long room showed signs of industrial use (b6). A considerable amount of pot from 2nd-6th centuries AD was found in the house. A hand rotary quern and part of a saddle quern also found (b6). During occupation, the courtyard house lay within a walled and ditched enclosure (16046.02) which it post-dates (b6). This reoccupation of site in 3rd and 4th centuries AD is associated with field system 16046.04 which lies on the hillside immediately to the south of the site (b6). During the third use of the site in the 5th and 6th centuries there was evidence for industrial smelting activities in part of the mostly abandoned and decayed settlement. Pottery from this phase of occupation were mostly platters (b6). Recent sketch surveys of the site showed outlines of features extant (h4, b7, b8) though vegetation cover was so impenetrable that detail was unattainable. The monument is included in the Schedule.

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Site history:
2: 1960. PITCHER, GH / OS
3: 1975. ROSE, PG / CAU
4: 1985. SHARPE, A / CAU
5: 1985. FLETCHER, MJ / OS
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<1> Guthrie, A, 1958, The 1958 Excavations at Goldherring, Sancreed (Article in Journal). SCO7675.

<2> Guthrie, A, 1959, Goldherring, 1959 (Article in Journal). SCO7725.

<3> GUTHRIE, A, 1959, THE RB NATIVE SETTLEMENT PLAN AT GOLDHERRING, SANCREED, FIELD GUIDE NO 5 (Booklet). SCO7726.

<4> GUTHRIE, A, 1960, SETTLEMENT AT GOLDHERRING, SANCREED, FIELD GUIDE NO 5 (Unedited Source). SCO7771.

<5> Guthrie, A, 1961, Excavations at Goldherring, 1960 (Article in Journal). SCO7770.

<6> Guthrie, A, 1969, Excavation of a Settlement at Goldherring, Sancreed, 1958-1961, VOL 8, 13-20 (Article in Journal). SCO3418.

<7> Cornwall Archaeological Unit, Field Drawing (GRE), GRE 2/16 (Cartographic materials). SCO5089.

<8> Cornwall Archaeological Unit, 198-, Drawing Archive, Hanging (GRH), GRH 68/4/SW4128 (Cartographic materials). SCO5088.

<9> Weatherhill, C, 1982, Courtyard Houses of West Penwith. A Survey, 61-63 (Bibliographic reference). SCO5029.

<10> ENGLISH HERITAGE, 2011, Heritage at Risk Register 2011 South West (Bibliographic reference). SCO24115.

<10> ENGLISH HERITAGE, 2012, Heritage at Risk Register 2012 South West (Bibliographic reference). SCO25275.

<10> ENGLISH HERITAGE, 2014, Heritage at Risk Register 2014 South West (Bibliographic reference). SCO26037.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Finds

• FCO1757 - BOWL (Romano British - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• FCO1758 - COIN (Romano British - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• FCO3428 - POLISHER (Romano British - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• FCO4125 - QUERN (Romano British - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• FCO3426 - SHERD (Romano British - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• FCO1755 - SLAG (Romano British - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• FCO1754 - SPINDLE WHORL (Romano British - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• FCO3427 - SPINDLE WHORL (Romano British - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• FCO4124 - UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT (Romano British - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• FCO1756 - WHETSTONE (Romano British - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Associated Events: none recorded

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