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Summary

The beehive hut at Bosporthennis courtyard house settlement (30733) is still visible.

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument CO47: Beehive hut (or the Crellas), Bosporthennis

Other References/Statuses

• National Mapping Programme (Morph No.): 291.5
• National Monuments Record: SW 43 NW 17
• National Record of the Historic Environment to Historic Environment Records data transfer
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 423621
• Primary Record No. (1985-2009): 30734
• SHINE Candidate (Yes)
• SMR No. (OS Quarter-sheet and SMR No.): SW43NW 90.2

Monument Type(s):

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

Full description

The beehive hut at Bosporthennis courtyard house settlement (30733) is recorded by Barnwell in 1863 (b1), mentioned by Blight (b2) and drawn by Lukis (b3). It is recorded on the OS map of 1908 (b4) and is described by Henderson (b5) and Hirst (b7). The site is a scheduled ancient monument (h1, b8). The OS surveyed the structure at 1:2500 in 1961, and record that Hirst's identification as a fogou must be considered doubtful. The "above ground" fogous in the region are all "buried" in a mass of rubble whereas the beehive hut appears as a free standing edifice with dry stone walling of normal appearance. The similarity in construction however, with the fogou at Chapel Euny would indicate an association and similar date to the courtyard house settlements nearby (h2, p1). Russell in 1971 lists the extant remains of an above ground fogou or beehive hut (b11). Weatherhill in 1982 describes it as an above ground fogou consisting of two chambers, one round, one rectangular, which communicate by means of a low but massively constructed doorway. The circular chamber, 4.6m in diameter, originally had a corbelled roof, much of which is still evident. The tall lintelled south west entrance is modern and the low opening to the north-west was originally blocked off. The rectangular chamber is 3.3m by 2.1m wide and its end wall which once contained a small window is comparatively modern. The entrance may have been here with the rectangular chamber serving as an entrance passage to the round chamber. It is probable that the entire building, which measures 10.3m by 7.9m overall, was originally covered by a mound. The walls survive to a maximum height of 2.7m (h5, b13). The site was planned at 1:200 by CCRA in 1982. The rectangular room appears to be of one build and is an unlikely fogou. A blocked entrance in the south east of the chamber was recorded. Elevation drawings of both parts are required (h8, b15). The site is visible on aerial photographs (p2&3) and was plotted for the NMP.

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Site history:
1: 1956. SAUNDERS, AD / MOW
2: 1961. PITCHER, GH / OS
3: 1969. MERCER, RJ / MOW
4: 1975. QUINNELL, NV / OS
5: 1975. WEATHERHILL, C / CCRA
6: 1981. SHEPPARD, PA / DOE
7: 1985. SHEPPARD, PA / DOE
8: 1983. NDJ, APJ, CT / CCRA
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<1> Barnwell, EL, 1863, Beehive Hut, Bophrennis (Article in Journal). SCO6163.

OSP, 1961, AO / 61 / 17 / 2, 3 (Photographic Record). SCO13744.

<2> Blight, JT, 1885, Churches of West Cornwall: with Notes of Antiquities of the Distrct, 214-220 (Bibliographic reference). SCO2866.

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

<3> Lukis, WC & Borlase, WC, 1885, Prehistoric Stone Monuments: Cornwall, 19, 26, PL 39 (Bibliographic reference). SCO3881.

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

<4> Ordnance Survey, 1900s, 2nd Edition 6 Inch Map (Cartographic materials). SCO4051.

<5> Henderson, C, 1914, Notebooks of Parochial Antiquities, VOL II, 192 (Unpublished document). SCO3503.

<6> Hencken, H O'N, 1932, The Archaeology of Cornwall and Scilly, 138 (Bibliographic reference). SCO3489.

<7> Hirst, FC, 1937, Courtyard House Sites in West Cornwall, 82-83 (Bibliographic reference). SCO3594.

<8> Saunders, A (for DOE), 1956, Scheduled Monument Description (Bibliographic reference). SCO5179.

<9> Clark, EV, 1961, Cornish Fogous, 109-116, 146 (Bibliographic reference). SCO3076.

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

<11> Russell, V, 1971, West Penwith Survey, 63 (Bibliographic reference). SCO4314.

<12> Sheppard, PA (for DOE), 19--, Scheduled Monument Description (Bibliographic reference). SCO5181.

<13> Weatherhill, C, 1982, Courtyard Houses of West Penwith. A Survey, 25-27 (Bibliographic reference). SCO5029.

<14> Sheppard, PA (for DOE), 19--, Scheduled Monument Description (Bibliographic reference). SCO5181.

<15> Cornwall Archaeological Unit, Field Drawing (GRE), GRE 1030 (Cartographic materials). SCO5089.

<16> Cornwall Archaeological Unit, 198-, Drawing Archive, Hanging (GRH), GRH 681173 & 68211 & 2 (Cartographic materials). SCO5088.

<17> Nowakowski, JA, 1987, Bosporthennis, West Penwith, Zennor, 45-46, FIG 21 (Bibliographic reference). SCO4015.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• ECO2865 - Bosporthennis beehive hut, Zennor

Related records: none recorded

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