Details

The scheduling includes two prehistoric round barrows, situated on level
ground east of high cliffs above two small coves north of Mawgan Porth.
The barrows lie in two separate areas of protection.
The southern barrow above High Cove has a sub-circular mound of earth and
stone, measuring approximately 14.8m across north-south and 13.8m
east-west. It has a curving profile and is up to 1.5m high. Evidence of a
stone kerb around the barrow is visible in the form of four quartz stones
around the eastern edge of the mound. These stones are up to 1m long, 0.6m
thick, and 0.4m high. There is no indication of a ditch around the mound.
Near the centre of this barrow is a roughly oval hollow measuring up to
5.2m north-south by 3.6m east-west and up to 1.6m deep, thought to be an
antiquarian excavation.
The northern barrow above Trerathick Cove is a waisted oval in plan. It
has a round earth and stone mound on the NNW and an oval earthwork
adjoining this on the SSE, the whole measuring approximately 20m NNW-SSE
by up to 14m ENE-WSW. The NNW part of the site shows signs of limited
modern disturbance, the mound being a low platform measuring around 14m
across and 0.3m high, with an area some 5m in diameter situated 2m or so
inside its south east edge rising up to 0.6m above this. Many of the
stones in the fabric are white quartz, and the platform contains a kerb of
large quartz slabs with an external diameter of about 11.5m. No kerb
stones are visible on the east, but around most of the remainder of the
circuit they stand at regular intervals of 1.5m or so. They are
well-matched, all being around 1.1m long, 0.4m thick, and 0.4m high above
the mound. There is no evidence of an external ditch.
The earthwork feature on the SSE side of the northern barrow is an oval
mound of earth and stone. It has quartz rubble protruding from its surface
in places, and is considered to contain redeposited barrow material. The
feature measures approximately 6m NNW-SSE by 10m ENE-WSW and is irregular
in profile, being mostly around 0.6m high but having hollows up to 0.4m
deep within it.

All modern fencing is excluded from the scheduling, although the ground
beneath it is included.

MAP EXTRACT
The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.
It includes a 2 metre boundary around the archaeological features,
considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

Round barrows are funerary monuments dating from the Late Neolithic period to
the Late Bronze Age, with most examples belonging to the period 2400-1500 BC.
They were constructed as earthen mounds, sometimes ditched, which covered
single or multiple burials. They occur either in isolation or grouped as
cemeteries and often acted as a focus of burials in later periods. Often
superficially similar, although differing widely in size, they exhibit
regional variations in form and a diversity of burial practices. There are
over 10,000 surviving examples recorded nationally (many more have already
been destroyed), occurring across most of Britain, including the Wessex area
where it is often possible to classify them more closely, for example as bowl
or bell barrows. Often occupying prominent locations, they are a major
historic element in the modern landscape and their considerable variation in
form and longevity as a monument type provide important information on the
diversity of beliefs and social organisations amongst early prehistoric
communities. They are particularly representative of their period and a
substantial proportion of surviving examples are considered worthy of
protection.

Despite limited modification, the two round barrows 440m and 510m north
west of High Cove Farm survive fairly well. The underlying old land
surfaces, and remains of any structures or other deposits associated with
these and with the upstanding earthworks, will also survive. The kerbing
with white quartz at both sites provides an example of the regional or
more local variations in construction within this monument type. The
elevated, cliff-top location of the barrows illustrates well the
importance of topography in Bronze Age ritual activity.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Other
AM7, (1953)
SW 86 NW 2, Fletcher, MJ, Ordnance Survey Index Card, (1969)
SW 86 NW 9, Fletcher, MJ, Ordnance Survey Index Card, (1969)
Title: Cornwall Mapping Project
Source Date: 1995
Author:
Publisher:
Surveyor:

Title: Ordnance Survey 1:2500 Map
Source Date: 1880
Author:
Publisher:
Surveyor:

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

Title: Ordnance Survey 2" drawing
Source Date: 1810
Author:
Publisher:
Surveyor:

Title: St Mawgan Tithe Apportionment
Source Date: 1841
Author:
Publisher:
Surveyor:

Source: Historic England