Discovering Roman Cornwall

Nanstallon Roman Fort is believed to have been in use from AD 65 to AD 79 and now survives as earthworks. The Roman military nature of the earthwork at Tregear Farm was confirmed through excavations conducted between 1965 and 1969. The site’s Roman connection was first noted in the 19th century when numerous Roman artifacts dating from the first century were ploughed up over many generations and cataloged by Iago. In the mid-19th century, the site was described as having very wide double ramparts, which were gradually destroyed for field dressing, and the eastern side was ploughed out. Excavations revealed a 2.2-acre fort with turf-revetted ramparts, timber corner towers, metalled roads, and double gates. It is thought to have been too small to house an entire auxiliary unit and likely served as a station for a detachment overseeing lead and silver extraction.

The principia (headquarters) had an unusual design, being particularly wide relative to its depth, with long halls on either side of the courtyard and a recessed entrance with a portico at the front. The barrack blocks were rectangular, with no projecting officers’ quarters or verandahs, and featured larger rooms at the ends of each block. The compound adjoining the praetorium was enclosed by a timber fence, with a lightly metalled yard and post holes suggesting lean-to sheds. One potential function of this compound was as an ablutions block.

This fort is one of only three known examples of a double-gate portal, with the others being at Baginton (dating from the Neronian period) and Brough on Humber (Early Flavian). Dating evidence from coins and pottery indicates that Nanstallon Roman Fort was likely constructed late in Nero’s reign, after AD 64, and was abandoned during Vespasian’s reign (69-79) or shortly after. Artifacts from the site have been donated to Truro Museum. Additionally, flints found during the excavation are believed to date to the Neolithic or later.

The earthworks of the Roman fort, including banks and ditches, can still be seen on the hill southwest of the later castle. The Roman fort at Restormel survives as a rectangular earthwork. Photo courtesy of Cornwall Council Historic Environment Service.

The fort, occupied from the first to the fourth centuries AD, housed around 160 individuals. It had a rectangular layout, measuring approximately 60 meters by 70 meters, with entrances located on opposite sides. The enclosure was surrounded by two banks and ditches, whereas a similar fort at Nanstallon, near Bodmin, only had one.

A geophysical survey at Restormel has revealed only faint traces of internal buildings, and their layout remains unknown. Other Roman forts in Cornwall, such as those at Nanstallon, overlooking the River Camel, and at Calstock, above the Tamar Valley, have also been explored. All three forts were strategically placed at the tidal limits of their respective rivers and were likely intended to protect trade routes into Cornwall and provide access to its valuable mineral resources.

Archaeological excavations and geophysical surveys on Church Hill, conducted between 2007 and 2011 by archaeologists from the University of Exeter, uncovered evidence of a settled population during the Early Bronze Age (c. 2200-2000 BCE). By the Late Iron Age (500-350 BCE), the hill was enclosed. It is possible that the Romans reused this Iron Age hillfort when they established their own smaller, square Roman fort measuring about 170 m by 160 m (560 ft by 520 ft). This fort, discovered during the same excavation, is only the third known in Cornwall and the largest.

The fort is believed to have been built around 50/55 CE, at the same time as a legionary fortress in Exeter. It is thought that up to 500 soldiers were stationed there. More recent excavations have revealed a Roman mine with pits connected by a network of tunnels, as well as evidence of a Roman road nearby. The fort was occupied for roughly thirty years; by 75 CE, the Legio II Augusta moved on to South Wales, leaving auxiliary units in Devon and Cornwall. The site was likely abandoned around 80/85 CE, when the buildings were dismantled, and the ramparts and ditches were leveled. The hill remained uninhabited until the 8th century CE. Part of the Roman site is now occupied by St Andrew’s Church and its cemeteries. An interpretation board at the entrance to the cemetery opposite the church provides more details.

Carn Euny, located in Cornwall near Land’s End, is a remote Romano-British settlement featuring stone houses. Excavations between 1964 and 1972 uncovered evidence of activity dating back to the 5th century BC, with structures from the 2nd to 4th centuries AD. The site consists of around ten stone houses, some with oval designs and central courtyards.

One of its most distinctive features is the fogou, a granite-lined underground tunnel of uncertain purpose, possibly used for storage, refuge, or religious rituals. The well-preserved Carn Euny fogou was first discovered by tin miners in the 1840s and later excavated. It features a winding passage, a beehive-shaped chamber, and a corbelled roof.

In later centuries, the ruins were repurposed for pigsties and gardens, and remnants of an 18th-century cottage are still visible. To the west of the site, two ancient wells, believed to have healing properties, are decorated with offerings.

Chysauster Ancient Village is a late Iron Age and Romano-British settlement in Cornwall, England, managed by English Heritage. Occupied from around 100 BC to the 3rd century AD, it comprised eight to ten courtyard houses, each featuring a central open space surrounded by thatched rooms. The village was agricultural, likely home to the Dumnonii tribe, and remained unfortified. Evidence of a nearby field system suggests active farming.

Situated 5 km north of Penzance at an elevation of 175 meters, Chysauster has undergone multiple excavations, including one by William Copeland Borlase in 1873, with some reconstruction efforts. To the south of the settlement lies a fogou—an underground passage of uncertain purpose. Originally over 16 meters long, it was sealed in the late 20th century for safety reasons.