St Erth

Has been described as a Questionable Timber Castle (Ringwork)

There are no visible remains

NameSt Erth
Alternative NamesCarhangives; Carnhangibes; Carnabeggas
Historic CountryCornwall
Modern AuthorityCornwall
1974 AuthorityCornwall
Civil ParishSt Erth

Spreadbury writes "Vanished castle of Richard FitzTurold." Lewis writes "In the churchyard, and in the village, are the remains of ancient crosses; and near the vicarage-house is a double circular intrenchment, called Carhangives, supposed to have been the site of a baronial castle." Leland writes "And not far from the bridge there was a castle, so it seems, or a manor house now completely demolished, which was called Carnhangibes. Some say that Dinham was lord of this place, and many knights and gentlemen owed suit to his court."

Gatehouse Comments

Lewis and Leland are, almost certainly, referring to the round at SW55773477 (PastScape No 424959) recorded as "A spread outer slope 1.0m. high survives on the W. and S. and faint traces are discernible on the S.E. and E. Surveyed at 1/2500. There is no visible evidence that it was ever bivallate as Polwhele suggests and it was accepted as univallate by Thomas in 1851. Its non-defensive situation on a S.W. slope below the hilltop with its shape and size are typical of an I.A. round rather than a hill-fort (Field Investigators Comments–F1 NVQ 06-APR-65)" Fitz Turold is recorded in Domesday as holding many manors in Cornwall, as a sub-tenant, but an association with St Erth has not been identified. There is is no suggestion, other than Spreadbury of him having a castle here. Association with the Dinham family not found. The main road used to run through the village across a ford and C14 bridge but there is no suggestion that this was ever anything other than a village. The round does not seem to have had any medieval use and the is no obvious site for the medieval manor house, although PastScape records a couple of chapel sites with a kilometre.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceSW557347
Latitude50.1624984741211
Longitude-5.42095994949341
Eastings155770
Northings34770
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Spreadbury, I. D., 1984, Castles in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly (Redruth)
  • Lewis, Samuel (ed), 1848, A topographical Dictionary of England online transcription
  • Lysons, D. and S., 1814, Magna Britannia Vol. 3 Cornwall p. 94 online transcription
  • Polwhele, R., 1803, History of Cornwall (London) Vol. 1 p. 112 online copy

Antiquarian

  • Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England  (Sutton Publishing) p. 70
  • Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1907, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (London: Bell and Sons) Vol. 1 p. 192 online copy