Scheduled Monuments›England›Cliff castle W of Gunwalloe Church

Cliff castle W of Gunwalloe Church

England
List entry 1004265
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1004265
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
1.49 hectares
Grid reference
SW 65953 20469
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic England (NHLE)

Overview

History & significance

Cliff Castle west of Gunwalloe Church is a promontory fort situated on the Cornish coast, representing Iron Age or early medieval defensive architecture. The site occupies a naturally defensible headland position, protected on three sides by steep cliffs that drop to the sea, with artificial earthwork defences constructed across the narrow landward approach. The fort's precise dating remains uncertain, though its morphology is consistent with Iron Age promontory fort construction practised across the South West peninsula. The site represents an important example of coastal settlement strategy in prehistoric or early historic Cornwall, exploiting natural topography to create a stronghold requiring minimal artificial fortification on the seaward aspects.

Cliff castle W of Gunwalloe Church is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1004265. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Cliff castle W of Gunwalloe Church?

Cliff Castle west of Gunwalloe Church is a promontory fort situated on the Cornish coast, representing Iron Age or early medieval defensive architecture. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1004265.

Who is responsible for protecting Cliff castle W of Gunwalloe Church?

Cliff castle W of Gunwalloe Church is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1004265.

What other scheduled monuments are near Cliff castle W of Gunwalloe Church?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Bowl barrow 280m NNW of Southernwood (3.4 km), Wayside cross 240m north west of Higher Predannack Farm (3.6 km), Bowl barrow 470m north of Ruan Pool (5.6 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Cliff castle W of Gunwalloe Church

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Cliff castle W of Gunwalloe Church's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Domesday
The settlement's entry in the 1086 Domesday Book: who held it, what it was worth, and the people who worked the land.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
LiDAR
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks hidden under fields and woodland, with likely features flagged.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
First month just £4.99, then £9.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Cliff castle W of Gunwalloe Church report
Or see a real report first
Nearby

Other scheduled monuments within 10 km

Bowl barrow 280m NNW of Southernwood
3.4 km
Wayside cross 240m north west of Higher Predannack Farm
3.6 km
Bowl barrow 470m north of Ruan Pool
5.6 km
Round barrow 500yds (460m) WNW of St Rumon's Church
5.6 km
Medieval chapel enclosure 340m south east of Hendra Farm
5.8 km
Tower mill 75m west of Windmill Farm
6.3 km
Round barrow 100yds (90m) NE of Mount Hermon
6.3 km
Bowl barrow 290m south east of Sunny Corner Cottage
6.7 km
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Cliff castle W of Gunwalloe Church

Cliff castle W of Gunwalloe Church stands on Middle Devonian (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.

Domesday entry for Winnianton, Cornwall →
All Scheduled Monuments