In the oak woodlands above the quay are the remnants of a much earlier site – an Iron Age fort consisting of two substantial banks and ditches with an oval earthwork inside of these. Known as Roundwood Fort, this area is classified as a ‘promontory fort’ because of its situation between two creeks, and is one of only a handful of its kind in Europe. Local historians believe it to have once been a bustling centre of activity, dating as far back as the Iron Age (around 350BC). Comparable to a cliff castle in the way it uses coastal topography for defense, Roundwood is believed to have been the stronghold of the local warrior-aristocracy and a centre of tribal power. The coastal location of the fort has given rise to the belief that it also functioned as a trading hub, with feasibly metal, hides, hunting dogs and slaves being exchanged for luxuries (such as wine) from the continent.
Further settlement at Tregew
In recent years, we’ve hosted archaeological field walks to collect evidence of another Iron-Age hillfort at Tregew. These walks have unearthed many fantastic finds that span several thousand years of Cornish history, including Neolithic flint tools, a fantastic ‘muller’ stone (used for grinding corn), some Romano-British pottery and a wide range of medieval items.
These finds, combined with other topographical evidence, provide evidence of habitation at Tregew. It is also a strong indication that this was a hillfort contemporary with Roundwood, although seemingly with a different purpose (being in such a defensible position) We intend to carry out further surveys over the coming years to define the extent of the settlement and this work could lead to the scheduling of the site, giving Tregew the same level of legal protection as the Scheduled Ancient Monument at Roundwood.
Woodland management and archaeology
In recent years, the Trelissick ranger team has been managing the woodland in and around the fort with the aim of preserving this fascinating archaeology for generations to come. This management revolves around the restoration of the existing woodland to a pre-existent and characteristically Cornish assembly of sessile oaks with an understory of heather.
The composition of the woodland first deviated from this regional form in the early 1800’s when Ralph Daniell, who had purchased the Trelissick Estate (including Roundwood and Tregew) from the Lawrance Family in 1805, decided to plant beech trees (native to the South-East of England) throughout this area. These trees have now reached maturity and pose a very real threat to the archaeology within the fort – beeches usually have a significant sail area and wide shallow roots that, if they were to blow over in high winds (as several have) they would take a great deal of history with them! The dense, shade-casting canopy of a beech also inhibits all but the most determined rays of sunshine from reaching the woodland floor and so offers considerably less opportunities for woodland wildflowers and pollinating insects when compared to the ‘open canopy’ woodland afforded by our native oaks.