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Summary

Tichbarrow, a large Bronze Age round barrow, partly excavated in 1972.

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument CO323: Tich Barrow round barrows

Other References/Statuses

• National Mapping Programme (Morph No.): 1068.31
• OS No. (OS Quarter-sheet and OS No.): SX18NW 4
• Primary Record No. (1985-2009): 2230.10
• SMR No. (OS Quarter-sheet and SMR No.): SX18NW 15

Monument Type(s):

• BARROW (Bronze Age - 2500 BC to 801 BC)

Full description

The name Tichbarrow is first recorded in 1296, as 'Tites-Burghdon' an English word comprising a personal name, 'Tite' plus 'burgh' (barrow). Tichbarrow, which has given its name to the surrounding area, is a large but now extensively mutilated barrow, conspicuously sited on a ridge top. Road construction on its north-west and south-east sides has reduced the mound to an oval, 34m NE-SW by 28m NW-SE, and 3.6m high. There is no sign of a ditch. The mound has been partly dug away on the NW side and a large trench occurs in the east quadrant, possibly the result of an excavation. In the 1950s a concrete water tank was constructed on the top (b1).
Maclean recorded that an attempt to open the mound had been made in the 1860s, but had been abandoned (b2). The OS statement that the barrow was excavated by D Cook of Tintagel in 1864 has been contested by Trudgian (b4) who shows that Cook in fact excavated the western-most member of the barrow group a little to the north (2228.1).
In 1972, a small excavation on the northern edge of the mound was carried out by Peter Trudgian in advance of roadworks (b1). This showed that the barrow had a low kerb of four horizontal courses of flat stones, approx 0.3m high. The old land surface and subsoil had been cut into to a depth of 0.3m-0.35m from the kerb outwards for an unknown distance - presumably to supply material for the mound. In this cut was a dark silty clay, towards the bottom of which were 120 stake holes, aligned on a large post hole. Finds consisted of 31 holed, pitted and cup-marked stones, 11 struck flints, 9 beach pebbles and 41 sherds of undecorated pottery, possibly gabbroic (b1).
The barrow is visible an earthwork on aerial photographs (p1) and was plotted during the Cornwall NMP. The monument is included in the Schedule.

<1> Maclean, J, 1876, A Parochial and Family History of the Deanery of Trigg Minor, VOL 2, 400 (Bibliographic reference). SCO3895.

RAF, 1946, 106G/UK/1498 4166-7 (Photographic Record). SCO10188.

<2> Gover, JEB, 1948, Place-Names of Cornwall, 55 (Bibliographic reference). SCO3402.

<3> TRUDGIAN, P, 1976, OBSERVATION AND EXCAVATION AT TICHBARROW, DAVIDSTOW, Vol 15, 31-45 (Article in Journal). SCO8353.

<4> TRUDGIAN, P, 1976, EXCAVATION OF A BARROW AT TICHBARROW BEACON, LESNEWTH, 1864, VOL 15, 45-47 (Article in Journal). SCO8352.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Finds

• FCO5773 - CORE (Bronze Age - 2500 BC to 801 BC)
• FCO594 - FLAKE (Bronze Age - 2500 BC to 801 BC)
• FCO595 - PERFORATED OBJECT (Bronze Age - 2500 BC to 801 BC)
• FCO3911 - SHERD (Bronze Age - 2500 BC to 801 BC)
• FCO3912 - WORKED OBJECT (Bronze Age - 2500 BC to 801 BC)

Associated Events

• ECO2278 - Tichbarrow, Davidstow

Related records

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