Coombe Castle

Has been described as a Rejected Uncertain

There are earthwork remains

NameCoombe Castle
Alternative NamesCombe; Crane Castle
Historic CountryCornwall
Modern AuthorityCornwall
1974 AuthorityCornwall
Civil ParishIllogan

Crane Castle is first mentioned by Leland who called it 'Coombe Castelle'. The OS record the remains of a cliff castle, consisting of double ramparts 80m long and averaging 2.3m high. There is no trace of an entrance. The remainder of the enclosed area has disappeared as a result of large scale cliff erosion. Tangye describes a rectangular enclosure which extends outward from the fortifications, which has earth banks up to 0.9m high and are approx 3.0m wide, with a possible ditch on the outside (south-east side). This enclosure is later in date than the cliff castle, probably constructed in the Post Medieval period. The banks of the bivallate work appear to be of earth and stone. Both the bivallate bank and the later enclosure are visible on air photographs and were plotted for the NMP. (Cornwall & Scilly HER)

The remains of an Iron Age cliff castle consisting of double ramparts 80 metres long and averaging 2.3m in height. There is no discernable entrance. Much of the castle has disappeared through erosion of the cliff. A piece of Early Iron Age pottery was allegedly found on the site. (PastScape)

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceSW634439
Latitude50.2484283447266
Longitude-5.31900978088379
Eastings163470
Northings43970
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

No photos available. If you can provide pictures please contact Castlefacts

Most of the sites or buildings recorded in this web site are NOT open to the public and permission to visit a site must always be sought from the landowner or tenant.

Calculate Print

Books

  • Borlase, W., 1754, Antiquities Historical and Monumental of the County of Cornwall p. 313

Antiquarian

  • Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England  (Sutton Publishing) p. 68
  • Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1907, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (London: Bell and Sons) Vol. 1 p. 189 online copy

Journals

  • Tangye, M., 1971, 'Earthworks in the Parish of Illogan' Cornish Archaeology Hendhyscans Kernow Vol. 10 p. 43 online copy

Other

  • Henderson, C., 1914, Notebooks of Parochial Antiquities. MS At RIC. Vol. 2 p. 317