As
the weather begins to get a bit warmer, it may be the right time to be
considering a tramp off into the middle of the Cornish countryside, and a visit
to the late Iron Age settlement of Chysauster in the Penwith District of South
West Cornwall could offer an unbeatable experience. If it is rounded off with a
visit to a local hostelry, so much the better!
I
have a personal interest in this blog, as I stumbled across Chysauster some
years ago while having a break based at Marazion by St.Michael's Mount. I say
“stumbled” not because I had visited the local hostelry first, but because I
had no great plan for the day, and did the usual family trick of turning off a
road for no particular reason to see where it would lead – I've introduced
myself to many farm yards and dead ends by doing that over the years!
 |
| Chysauster was way ahead of its time |
Chysauster
turned out to be one of my success stories however, and as with many sites
managed by English Heritage, there is also plenty of room for the kids to run
around and let off steam as well.
Located
not far from Penzance, the site has opening and closing times which can be
checked by referring to the web site. If you get really enthusiastic you can
also visit the iron-age hill fort of Castle An Dinas, while another similar
Iron Age settlement is Carn Euny, both
of which are fairly local.
Chysauster
dates from about 100 BC, and was probably occupied for about 400 years, being home to members of the Dumnonii tribe. There
is no suggestion of any fortifications, with the village likely to have been
peaceful and used by those following agriculture as a trade. The remains point
to there having been ten houses each one being about 30 metres in diameter. The
houses have courtyards, eight of them are in two recognisable rows, and walls
survive up to three metres high in places. There is also a neighbouring field
system that gives credence to the lifestyle of the occupants.
It
may have been a mystery to me before I found it, but more knowledgeable parties
have given it a bit of time and attention over the years, including an
excavation by William Copeland Borlase in 1873. There is also a fogou or an
underground man made chamber.
A
day exploring this fascinating site may not be everyone's idea of a perfect day
out, but it certainly makes sure that you get out and about, and even if you
can't get there just yet, it may be the perfect place for a spring break as the
first warm sunshine of the year appears.
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