Details

The scheduling includes a later prehistoric to Romano-British round, situated
on level ground on top of a ridge south of Threemilestone. The round is ovoid
in plan, measuring up to 40m east-west by 34m north-south overall.
The round has an enclosing bank of earth and stone, visible on the north west
side where it is modified to form a modern stone-faced boundary bank some 2m
wide and 1.4m-1.9m high, and on the NNE side in the form of a slight scarp. By
analogy with similar sites, traces of the bank will extend around the whole
circuit. The bank has an external ditch which a geophysical survey has
identified as 2m wide and surviving as a buried feature at least around the
east and south sides; a slight depression about 3m wide outside the modified
bank at the south west corner is also considered to form part of this ditch.
The geophysical survey also records higher levels of magnetic disturbance
within the round, considered to indicate settlement-related activity.

MAP EXTRACT
The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

Rounds are small embanked enclosures, one of a range of settlement types
dating to between the later Iron Age and the early post-Roman period. Usually
circular or oval, they have a single earth and rubble bank and an outer ditch,
with one entrance breaking the circuit.
Excavations have produced drystone supporting walls within the bank, paved or
cobbled entrance ways, post built gate structures, and remains of timber, turf
or stone built houses of oval or rectangular plan, often set around the inner
edge of the enclosing bank. Other evidence includes hearths, drains, gullies,
pits and rubbish middens. Evidence for industrial activities has been
recovered from some sites, including small scale metal working and, among the
domestic debris, items traded from distant sources. Some rounds are associated
with secondary enclosures, either abutting the round as an annexe or forming
an additional enclosure.
Rounds are viewed primarily as agricultural settlements, the equivalents of
farming hamlets. They were replaced by unenclosed settlement types by the 7th
century AD. Over 750 rounds are recorded in the British Isles, occurring in
areas bordering the Irish Seas, but confined in England to south west Devon
and especially Cornwall, where many more examples may await discovery. Most
recorded examples are sited on hillslopes and spurs.
Rounds are important as one of the major sources of information on settlement
and social organisation of the Iron Age and Roman periods in south west
England. Consequently, sites with significant surviving remains will normally
be considered to be of national importance.

The round 180m north east of Polstein survives reasonably well. Despite
reduction and modification of the enclosing bank and ditch, the old land
surface underlying the upstanding earthworks and remains of buildings,
structures and other deposits associated with these will survive.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Bartlett, A, Polstain, Threemilestone, Cornwall, (1978)
Thomas, R, Letter to the West Briton, (1851)
Other
Title: Kenwyn Tithe Apportionment
Source Date: 1840
Author:
Publisher:
Surveyor:
1053
Title: Ordnance Survey 1:2500 Map
Source Date: 1880
Author:
Publisher:
Surveyor:

Title: Ordnance Survey 1:2500 Map
Source Date: 1908
Author:
Publisher:
Surveyor:

Source: Historic England