An ancient hillfort with remains of both the Bronze Age and Iron Age in west Cornwall has been saved from the Heritage at Risk Register.
Caer Bran, described as “an important multi-period hill-top site in West Penwith” has been removed from Historic England’s register thanks to the successful interventions of the Cornwall Heritage Trust.
The site contains archaeological remains - principally an early Bronze Age hilltop enclosure with ring cairns, as well as an unusually unfinished Iron Age hillfort. The massive earthworks seen there today were probably intended to create a gathering place, a status symbol and a defendable fort.
Cornwall Heritage Trust purchased Caer Bran in February 2022 after Historic England made the decision to add the nine-hectare site to its Heritage at Risk Register, due to a risk of bracken and scrub overgrowth.
It was bought to protect the site from these issues, as well as from possible development and intensive agricultural use.
The purchase was made possible by a generous gift left to the charity by Miss Carlene Edith Harry in her will. Miss Harry was from West Penwith and had a keen interest in her local history.
Cornwall Heritage Trust CEO Cathy Woolcock said: “Caer Bran has been on the Heritage at Risk register at many points over the last two decades. That’s why when it came onto the market in 2022, we made it our mission to save it once and for all.
“Our team has been working incredibly hard over the last two years to ensure it receives the management, regular maintenance and specialist interventions its complex needs require, and we’re overjoyed to hear that this has resulted in its removal from the register.
“The difference is clear to see in the aerial photos we had taken when we purchased the site and those taken this summer. A site whose archaeology was under serious threat of damage by bracken roots is now a rich and diverse heathland habitat which is freely accessible to everyone.
“So many of Cornwall’s historic places desperately need protecting, and Caer Bran’s story is a testament to what can happen when they receive the care and land management expertise they need. Caer Bran’s rescue was made possible by the generosity and support of Miss Harry and Historic England, and we are immensely grateful.”
“Thanks to a generous gift which helped place the monument in Cornwall Heritage Trust’s care, Caer Bran is now secure for us and future generations to enjoy.”
Cornwall Heritage Trust is a small, independent charity which protects Cornwall’s heritage for everyone. It cares for and offers universal free access to 16 of Cornwall’s most important historic sites, runs a wide-reaching education programme, hosts heritage workshops and community events, and provides grants to schools, which enable thousands of children to visit ancient sites, museums and historic properties across Cornwall every year.
Find out more about the charity on its website www.cornwallheritagetrust.org
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here