This autumn will see an exciting four-week archaeological excavation taking place near Bodmin, which hopes to uncover a possible hidden stone circle at a unique prehistoric ritual site called Castilly Henge.
‘Castilly Henge Excavation’ Mike Davey (2025), supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, CC BY 4.0.
Not all henges contain stone circles, and there is only one other known to survive in Cornwall.
The project is a collaboration between the Cornwall Archaeological Society, the Cornwall Heritage Trust and Historic England.
To give people the chance to learn more about this fascinating monument and the important questions the dig will target about its character, date and potential later reuse, this month the project hosted the first in a series of free community talks with Dr Olaf Bayer, Senior Archaeological Investigator at Historic England.
‘Castilly Henge Excavation’ Mike Davey (2025), supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, CC BY 4.0.
Over 100 people joined us for the talk, which took place at Roche Victory Hall. Thank you to everyone who came along – we hope you enjoyed learning about Castilly Henge!
‘Castilly Henge Excavation’ Mike Davey (2025), supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, CC BY 4.0.
The excavation is being funded by Historic England. Outreach for the project, which includes this free talk, has been made possible by a £42,990 grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and a £10,000 grant from Historic England.
This project is a collaboration between…
Made possible by funding from…
We will be hosting the second talk in this series via Zoom on Thursday 4th September 2025 from 6pm – 7pm.
The talk will be repeated at one additional venue local to the excavation site during the next few months. Full details to follow.
Cornwall Heritage Trust has recently launched a fundraising appeal to rescue and secure the future of Castilly Henge.
We are hoping to raise £50,000 towards the acquisition of the monument and have so far raised over £10,000 thanks to the generous support of nearly 100 donors. We cannot thank them enough.
We still have some way to go to reach our target, so if you can donate, we would be hugely grateful. Every penny makes a huge difference and is vital in helping us to rescue Castilly Henge, secure its future through active management and enable the public to visit it for free all year round.
Please cite this resource as: ‘Castilly Henge Excavation’ Cornwall Heritage Trust (2025), supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, CC BY 4.0.
A historic site in Newquay, thought to have been inhabited since prehistoric times, has been protected for future generations by our small, independent charity.
Cornwall Heritage Trust has taken ownership of East Pentire Headland – a historic clifftop site situated on the southern edge of Newquay between the famous surfing beaches of Fistral and Crantock. The site has evidence of human activity dating back over 8000 years and contains a number of archaeological remains, including Bronze Age barrows.
The site has been transferred to the charity from Cornwall Council.
The headland is a popular spot for marine wildlife watching, with whales, seals and dolphins often visiting the nearby shoreline, and is designated a “County Wildlife Site” renowned for its wide variety of mosses and bird life.
It is home to a large number of skylarks, which are a Red List species of conservation concern due to significant population decline. Kestrels, stonechat, ravens and peregrine falcons are also routinely observed on the site.
Cathy Woolcock, Cornwall Heritage Trust CEO said: “East Pentire Headland is an incredibly special place. It has huge archaeological and ecological significance, as well as being an important space for the local community to come together, so it’s such an honour for our charity to now be its custodian and ensure everyone can continue to enjoy it.”
Founded in 1985, Cornwall Heritage Trust is a small, independent charity which protects historic places across Cornwall, hosts a wide-reaching programme of wellbeing, education and community workshops, activities and events at these heritage sites and provides grants enabling visits to museums and historic monuments across Cornwall.
The headland adjoins a car park, which will now support this charitable work. The car park will be managed by the external parking management company, NPC.
If you have any questions relating to the car park at this site, please head to https://www.nationalparkingcontrol.co.uk
Three further transfers of historic sites to the charity from Cornwall Council are planned to take place over the next 12 months. They are Minions Heritage Centre, the Prince of Wales Engine House and Castle an Dinas (Penwith).
Cornwall Heritage Trust has received a revenue grant of £50,000 from the Garfield Weston Foundation.
Keen artists and creative minds had the chance to explore the stunning historic landscape at Sancreed Beacon and create a beautiful folded concertina book to take home with our current Artist in Residence, Sue Lewington at a special guided walk and workshop last week.
Sue is an artist and illustrator, mostly based around the West Penwith Peninsula and on the Isles of Scilly. Her inspiration comes from the energy of the landscape, the seas and the skies and the frayed edges of the coastline.
The workshop involved an hour-long guided walk around Sancreed Beacon led by Cornwall Heritage Trust’s Countryside Ranger, Hollie Ferris. The site is a beautiful stretch of semi-natural moorland which has been used by people since at least the Bronze Age.
People have been drawn to this site’s spectacular views and natural resources for thousands of years. The hill contains a number of archaeological remains and it is a haven for wildlife. Sue was on hand throughout the walk to discuss the creative inspiration this special place can offer.
Attendees then headed to Sancreed Village Hall for a two-hour art workshop creating a folded concertina artist’s book in which they recreated the feel and sights of their walk through sketching, painting and writing.
Thank you to everyone who joined us. We hope you had an inspiring afternoon!
Flint knapping workshops, special guided walks and the chance to explore a Bronze Age Living History Encampment were all on offer last week as Cornwall Heritage Trust celebrated the Festival of Archaeology.
Taking place at Sancreed Beacon, this fun-filled day aimed to bring the site’s prehistoric past to life for all ages with activities including ancient weaving, building a wattle and daub fence, designing your own Bronze Age pot and handling objects from Cornwall’s past.
Our Education and Engagement team welcomed over 200 visitors, who were all keen to get stuck in and get a taste of life thousands of years ago.
There was also the chance for some to take part in an immersive half-day workshop to learn flint knapping – a technique used by our ancestors to shape stone into tools and artefacts. This masterclass was delivered by Devon and Cornwall Bushcraft CIC and was part-funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Special free guided walks around the site and local area were also on offer for Cornwall Heritage Trust, Cornwall Archaeological Society and Cornish Ancient Sites Protection Network members. These were led by trained archaeologist and Cornwall Heritage Trust Sites Officer, Dick Cole, and writer, researcher, astronomer and Cornwall Heritage Trust Project Manager – Sites, Carolyn Kennett.
Thank you to everyone who came along. We hope you enjoyed your journey back in time!
This event was part of the Council for British Archaeology’s annual Festival of Archaeology.
This event was part-funded by…
Traditional hay making was the call of the day for our Young Rangers this week as they headed to Skyegrove – a small-scale farm near Liskeard which promotes the use of hand-powered tools and a bio-diverse, regenerative approach to farming.
Our award-winning Young Rangers ‘Climate Action Youth Group’ offers the chance to take action over the climate crisis, assist with environmental work on historic natural landscapes and develop skills in countryside management.
Due to the complex needs and varied terrain of the historic sites we care for, our Rangers use a wide variety of techniques to undertake their work to improve biodiversity, protect archaeological features and ensure that these special places are accessible to the public.
They are firm believers in the ecological and archaeological benefits of complementing modern land management techniques with traditional methods, and the day was a fantastic opportunity for our Young Rangers to learn a new skill that they can use in their work with our charity and take forward to help achieve their career or life goals.
The next session is set to take place from 11am – 3pm on Wednesday, 20th August at Tregonning Hill near Helston. This diverse historic landscape is one of the 17 heritage sites cared for by Cornwall Heritage Trust, and the session will involve bracken management to improve biodiversity, protect archaeological features and ensure the site is accessible to the public.
This project is currently part-funded by the National Lottery Community Fund and holidaycottages.co.uk.
This project is part-funded by…
Cornwall has a long and proud history of lighting beacons at times of celebration, so it seemed very fitting for our small, independent charity to mark our 40th anniversary by carrying on this time-honoured tradition.
To celebrate this milestone birthday, we lit a specially commissioned mini-brazier at each of the historic sites in our care this Spring and Summer. The beacon lighting tour involved several large public events alongside some smaller, private ceremonies hosted in conjunction with some of our partner heritage organisations.
The brazier was designed and constructed by Cornwall-based blacksmith James Taylor.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for these special events!
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Today, we are excited to launch a fundraising appeal to rescue and secure the future of a unique prehistoric ritual site described by experts as “Cornwall’s ancient sacred heart” – Castilly Henge. We need your support to raise £50,000 towards the acquisition of this special place.
Despite being one of the South-West’s most important and best-researched late Neolithic sites, this Scheduled Monument is currently at risk due to the threat posed by invasive vegetation and inaccessible to the public.
This is a rare opportunity to ensure Castilly Henge is protected and that everyone can enjoy it once and for all.
An important ancient place…
Located just off the A30 near Bodmin, Castilly Henge is believed to have been built during the late Neolithic period (about 3000 to 2500 BCE).
It is a substantial oval earthwork with an external bank and internal ditch, which would have formed an amphitheatre-like setting for gatherings and ritual activities. Its significance continued into the Early Bronze Age (c.2400-1500 BCE) when several high-status burial mounds or barrows were built close by.
Excitingly, recent surveys undertaken by Historic England’s Archaeological Investigation Team discovered traces of a now-removed possible stone circle in the middle of the henge. Not all henges contain stone circles, and there is only one other known to survive in Cornwall.
A four-week archaeological excavation is set to take place at the monument in September and October 2025 to target important questions about these findings to understand more about the monument’s character, date and potential later reuse.
Heritage at Risk…
The archaeology and biodiversity of Castilly Henge are currently at risk due to the threat posed by invasive vegetation. Modern development of the nearby road infrastructure and local service network, which lie within metres of the site, also poses potential risks.
It is currently inaccessible to the public and, despite much media attention over the last few years, many don’t know where it is located and how important it is.
Our charity has been protecting historic landscapes and monuments across Cornwall for the last 40 years. We have a strong track record of giving these special places the archaeological and land management expertise they need and have helped save a number from the Heritage at Risk Register. Help us do the same for Castilly Henge!
Join the fight for your heritage…
Your donation will help us to rescue Castilly Henge, secure its future through active management and enable the public to visit it for free all year round.
As a small, independent charity, every donation makes a huge difference to this urgent appeal.
Thank you so much for your support!
We’re so pleased to hear how much the students from Humphry Davy School benefited from their four-day ‘archaeology safari’ around Cornwall!
“I honestly loved every day, but the first day stood out to me as… I got to see sites I had never seen before.” Student
“I found being outside helped my emotions.” Student
“My favourite day was all of them, they were all good in their own ways.” Student
“Going out in nature felt calming and fun.” Student
“There were many good views.” Student
Led by our Education and Outreach Manager, Caroline, students from Year 8 – 10 were treated to a jam-packed programme of heritage exploration.
They spent four days travelling throughout Cornwall to visit and learn more about a huge number of the historic sites in our charity’s care. These included the Hurler Stone Circles, Trethevy Quoit, Caer Bran, Carn Euny, Tregiffian Burial Chamber, Sancreed Beacon and Castle an Dinas.
There was also time to stop off at some historic places that are looked after by other organisations and private owners, including the Cheesewring, Rillaton Barrow, Boscawen-un Stone Circle, The Merry Maidens Stone Circle and Chysauster Ancient Village.
Activities ranged from handling historic objects and photographing archaeological features to learning how to scythe with our Rangers – all carefully designed to help bring the past to life for the students and boost their wellbeing along the way.
The site visits and transport for the safari were provided free of charge, with a small, subsidised charge for workshop materials.
“It definitely felt good to go on long walks when usually I don’t often.” Student
“I enjoyed seeing and learning about the sites – history and folklore.” Student
“Going outside 100% affects wellbeing in a good way.” Student
“The landmarks themselves were all interesting to see and learn about.” Student
We offer a wide range of free and subsidised workshops at our historic sites as part of our Discovery Programme, and feedback like this shows what inspiring learning experiences they are.
Our on-site workshops are provided to schools, alternative education provision and community groups free of charge. This programme is part-funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the National Lottery Community Fund.
For those struggling with the cost of petrol and vehicle hire, you can also apply for one of our transport grants to support your visit. This academic year’s transport grants are part-funded by Cornish Lithium.
Our award-winning youth environmental programme is making a call-out for participants to get involved and make a direct and lasting impact on Cornwall’s ecology, thanks to the support of the National Lottery Community Fund and holidaycottages.co.uk.
Cornwall Heritage Trust’s Young Ranger ‘Climate Action Youth Group’ aims to empower young people to take action over the climate crisis, assist with environmental work on historic natural landscapes and develop their skills in countryside management.
This project is currently part-funded by the National Lottery Community Fund and holidaycottages.co.uk.
Their support will now enable this group of young people to take part in a year’s worth of environmentally-focused sessions at charity’s historic sites. These aim to improve their ecology and biodiversity, with activities including building and monitoring bird and mammal boxes, scything and building Cornish hedging.
The next session is set to take place from 11am – 3pm on Wednesday, 30th July at Skyegrove near Liskeard. This small-scale farm promotes traditional land management methods and will offer participants the chance to learn about hay making.
The session following this will take place from 11am – 3pm on Wednesday, 20th August at Tregonning Hill near Helston. This diverse historic landscape is one of the 17 heritage sites cared for by Cornwall Heritage Trust, and the session will involve bracken management to improve biodiversity, protect archaeological features and ensure the site is accessible to the public.
Engagement Manager, Sophie Meyer said: “We hear from so many young people how worried they are about climate change and we know how overwhelming it can feel to try and tackle this global emergency as an individual. Seeing the direct and lasting impact you can have on Cornwall’s ecology is an incredibly empowering experience, and the feedback we get from our Young Rangers shows just how important work like this is. We’re hugely grateful to the National Lottery Community Fund and holidaycottages.co.uk for their support, and we hope as many young people as possible would like to get involved.”
Serena Pearce, Regional Communities Manager at Travel Chapter said: “At holidaycottages.co.uk, we’re proud to support Cornwall Heritage Trust and their inspiring Climate Youth Rangers programme. We are passionate about supporting the communities where we operate, and we take great pride in giving back to the places our guests love to visit. We believe in the importance of protecting both natural and cultural heritage for future generations. By sponsoring these sessions, we’re helping to empower young people to take meaningful climate action while developing valuable countryside management skills at Cornwall’s treasured historic sites.”
Founded in 1985, Cornwall Heritage Trust protects historic places across Cornwall, which are all free for the general public to visit. It hosts a wide-reaching programme of environmental, wellbeing, education and community workshops, activities and events at these heritage sites and provides grants enabling visits to museums and historic monuments across Cornwall.
This project is part-funded by…
We are thrilled to announce that our small, independent charity is now caring for Cornwall’s second-largest and best-preserved Iron Age fort.
Cornwall Heritage Trust has taken ownership of Warbstow Bury – an important historic monument which sits on a prominent upland ridge at the heads of two tributaries of the River Ottery in northeast Cornwall. It is thought to have been constructed around 2500 years ago and is a Scheduled Monument.
The site has been transferred to the charity from Cornwall Council.
Founded in 1985, the Trust protects historic places across Cornwall, which are all free for the general public to visit. It hosts a wide-reaching programme of wellbeing, education and community workshops, activities and events at these heritage sites and provides grants enabling visits to museums and historic monuments across Cornwall.
Cathy Woolcock, Cornwall Heritage Trust CEO, said: “Warbstow Bury is a fascinating place and such an important asset for the local community, so we’re incredibly proud to now be looking after it. Our charity has been protecting historic landscapes and monuments like this for the last 40 years, and has a strong track record of giving these special places the archaeological and land management expertise they need to flourish. We’re excited to get started and keen to work with the community as much as possible.”
The purpose of hillforts is much debated by archaeologists. It is thought that many were likely defensive; however, some may have had more ceremonial or ritualistic uses.
There is an archaeological feature at the centre of the hillfort known as the “Giant’s Grave” or, sometimes, “King Arthur’s Grave”. It is a large pillow mound – an artificial earthen mound used for keeping rabbits – which was likely constructed in the medieval period for the owners of the nearby Fentrigan Manor.
During the Second World War, two sentry boxes were built in the inner rampart of the fort, allowing Warbstow Home Guard to monitor the surrounding landscape for enemy aircraft.
Cllr Loic Rich, cabinet member for environment and climate change at Cornwall Council, said: “The transfer of Warbstow Bury to Cornwall Heritage Trust marks an exciting milestone and the beginning of a wider programme to pass the stewardship of some of Cornwall’s most significant heritage sites to the trust.
“We welcome the development of this important partnership, which will help secure the future care and management of these special places by a dedicated local organisation. Warbstow Bury, as one of the largest and best-preserved hillforts in Cornwall, will now be safeguarded for future generations through this new custodianship.”
Four further transfers of historic sites to the charity from Cornwall Council are planned to take place over the next 12 months. They are East Pentire Head, Minions Heritage Centre, the Prince of Wales Engine House and Castle an Dinas (Penwith).
Join the fight for your heritage today
We’re so proud to now be the custodians of this important historic asset, which joins our growing portfolio of heritage sites.
When we set our targets in 2021 for the number of sites we could sustainably acquire, we aimed to take on one per year. In reality, the collection of sites we own has almost doubled in the last four years and is set to grow significantly larger in 2025.
If a historic site needs protecting, we want to help and that’s why your support is vital in making this happen.
Find out more here https://www.cornwallheritagetrust.org/
A major project to reveal the secrets of a unique prehistoric ritual site described by experts as “Cornwall’s ancient sacred heart” has been given the green light thanks to a £42,990 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, using money raised by National Lottery players.
Located just off the A30 near Bodmin, Castilly Henge is believed to have been built during the late Neolithic period (about 3000 to 2500 BCE). It is a substantial oval earthwork with an external bank and internal ditch, which would have formed an amphitheatre-like setting for gatherings and ritual activities. Its significance continued into the Early Bronze Age (c.2400-1500 BCE) when several high-status burial mounds or barrows were built close by.
Previous researchers have suggested that the site might have been used as a medieval open-air theatre known as a plen-an-gwari and then as a battery during the English Civil War.
Partnership Working
The project is a collaboration between the Cornwall Archaeological Society, the Cornwall Heritage Trust and Historic England. It will involve a four-week archaeological excavation in September and October 2025 to target important questions about the monument’s character, date and potential later reuse.
The dig is informed by earthwork and geophysical surveys undertaken by Historic England’s Archaeological Investigation Team as part of a previous project in 2022. This found traces of a now-removed possible stone circle in the middle of the henge. Not all henges contain stone circles, and there is only one other known to survive in Cornwall.
Community Involvement
There will be opportunities for a significant number of volunteers to be directly involved in the dig and work alongside seasoned excavators, as well as a wide range of outreach activities, tours and educational workshops to involve local communities in the project as much as possible. The works will be rounded off with a celebration and public open day. Historic England is also making a contribution towards the community outreach element of the project through a £10,000 grant.
Heritage at Risk
The henge is currently at risk due to the threat posed by invasive vegetation. Modern development of the nearby road infrastructure and local service network, which lie within metres of the site, also pose potential risks.
In order to combat these risk factors, the final stage of the project will see the creation of management plans aimed at improving the biodiversity of the field and the condition of the monument, as well as ensuring future sustainable management.
Copyright: Historic England
Cathy Woolcock, Cornwall Heritage Trust CEO, said: “This is such an exciting opportunity for the local community to be directly involved in discovering more about one of Cornwall’s most important ancient sites and we’re so honoured to be involved.”
“The henge has been at risk for some time – a threat which urgently needs to be addressed before this special place and the secrets it holds are potentially lost. This project is an exciting step forward in making that possible, firstly by uncovering Castilly’s story and then creating management plans to improve the biodiversity of the field and the condition of the monument so that it can be protected and sustainably managed for many years to come. We’re delighted that the National Lottery Heritage Fund sees the impact that this project will have and are hugely grateful to National Lottery players for making this funding possible!”
Dr Olaf Bayer, Senior Archaeological Investigator at Historic England, said: “We’re delighted to be working with partners at Castilly Henge to grow our collective understanding of this special prehistoric site. Following our discovery of the remains of a previously unknown possible stone circle in 2022, we’re back to carry out the first excavation on the site in over 60 years. The technology available to us today will enable us to take a closer look at the evidence and hopefully find out more about how and exactly when the site was used. We’re excited that volunteers and the local community will have the opportunity to get involved in the project.”
Pete Herring, President of the Cornwall Archaeological Society, said: “We are thrilled to be closely involved in this exciting project. Castilly may hold the key to understanding how this area of Cornwall became a major focus for ritual and ceremonial activity in the Neolithic and Bronze Age periods, and why it was still an important place in the medieval era.”
“The Cornwall Archaeological Society has been involved in work at Castilly for many years. Our members first excavated it in 1962, and recently we have been helping to clear the area of scrub in readiness for the latest investigations.
“We are looking forward to working with Historic England and Cornwall Heritage Trust as well as local people and local schools and are very grateful to The National Lottery Heritage Fund for their support. Together we’ll be staging an open day towards the end of the dig, at which locals and those from all over Cornwall will be able to discover what’s been found – and what it means.”
