<< Our Photo Pages >> Trencrom - Hillfort in England in Cornwall

Submitted by Bladup on Friday, 22 April 2022  Page Views: 19083

Iron Age and Later PrehistorySite Name: Trencrom Alternative Name: Trecobben
Country: England County: Cornwall Type: Hillfort
Nearest Town: St Ives  Nearest Village: Lelant Downs
Map Ref: SW51803622  Landranger Map Number: 203
Latitude: 50.173908N  Longitude: 5.477417W
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
 4 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
 5 Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
 3 Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
 4

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I have visited· I would like to visit

micske visited on 1st Nov 2022 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 4

lucasn visited on 10th Apr 2019 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 4 Access: 4

LiveAndrew Bladup h_fenton AngieLake JimChampion ocifant cazzyjane have visited here

Average ratings for this site from all visit loggers: Condition: 3.5 Ambience: 4 Access: 4

Trencrom
Trencrom submitted by Bladup : Thick walling at the South of the fort (Vote or comment on this photo)
Hillfort and possible Early Neolithic enclosure in Cornwall. A wall of large orthostats links natural outcrops of rock and encloses an area of around 1ha. The wall construction is similar to that of Carn Brea. Group II and V axe heads have been found nearby. There are hut circles within the enclosure and the gateways are elaborated, both of these features are likely to be later prehistoric structures

The position is notable because it is one of the few places in Britain where the sun both rises from and sets into the sea. Situated on the northeastern edge of the West Penwith granite massif.

Source: The Early Neolithic Tor Enclosures of Southwest Britain, Simon R. Davies
The University of Birmingham Ph.D Thesis (PDF)

Page originally by Vicky

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Trencrom
Trencrom submitted by cazzyjane : The gateway to Trencrom Hill Fort with views to Hayle and beyond. (4 comments - Vote or comment on this photo)

Giant's Well (Trencrom)
Giant's Well (Trencrom) submitted by Bladup : Giant's Well (Trencrom) and its metal cover. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Trencrom
Trencrom submitted by Bladup : The winter sun setting onto an outcrop on Trencrom. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Trencrom
Trencrom submitted by Bladup : An outcrop on Trencrom, The hill in the background is Trink Hill and behind Trink Hill is Rosewall Hill (Vote or comment on this photo)

Trencrom
Trencrom submitted by Bladup : Trencrom and a rainbow. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Trencrom
Trencrom submitted by Bladup : Outcrop and setting sun at Trencrom, Just before a beautiful full moon rise with a bit of darkening because of a penumbral eclipse.

Trencrom
Trencrom submitted by Bladup : Outcrop at Trencrom, I love this place and it's only 25 minutes from my back door.

Trencrom Castle Well
Trencrom Castle Well submitted by cazzyjane : trencrom castle well. Feb 2009

Trencrom
Trencrom submitted by AngieLake : Looking, towards the SW, along the defences to the right of the southern entrance at Trencrom Hill fort. I liked the two pointed stones in the centre of pic. (2 comments)

Trencrom
Trencrom submitted by JimChampion : A close-up of the northern gatepost at the eastern entrance to Trencrom hillfort. This large granite pillar (at least 1.5 metres tall, probably more) is believed to be an original feature from the iron-age settlement, similar to those at Chun Castle.

Trencrom Castle Well
Trencrom Castle Well submitted by MawnanIan : The well is hard to find unless you are in the know but is often visited as evidenced by the offering in the picture. (1 comment)

Trencrom
Trencrom submitted by ocifant : Trencrom from the hill above Nancledra (Approx SW495352) (1 comment)

Trencrom
Trencrom submitted by Horatio : the view of the fort looking south (St Michaels mount in the distance) (1 comment)

Trencrom
Trencrom submitted by Horatio : Great fort with commanding views all around, easy to walk up to and a great place to take in the views eating a picnic, St Ives Bay in the distance

Trencrom
Trencrom submitted by Bladup : Eastern defences and Entrance

Trencrom
Trencrom submitted by Bladup : A strangely shaped rock in the Northern part of the fort. It just doesn't look naturally shaped to me. (2 comments)

Trencrom
Trencrom submitted by lucasn : The entrance to Trencrom Castle

Trencrom
Trencrom submitted by Bladup : An outcrop at Trencrom with a lovely blue/green sky.

Trencrom
Trencrom submitted by Bladup : Part of a hut circle on Trencrom with Hayle estuary in the background, Just before a beautiful full moon rise with a bit of darkening because of a penumbral eclipse.

Trencrom
Trencrom submitted by Bladup : Part of a hut circle on Trencrom, Just before a beautiful full moon rise with a bit of darkening because of a penumbral eclipse.

Trencrom
Trencrom submitted by Bladup : Outcrop on the top of Trencrom bathed in the setting sunlight, Just before the rise of a beautiful full moon with a bit of darkening because of a penumbral eclipse.

Trencrom
Trencrom submitted by Bladup : Outcrop on Trencrom.

Trencrom
Trencrom submitted by Bladup : Part of another Hut on Trencrom with an outcrop behind.

Trencrom
Trencrom submitted by Bladup : Hut circle on Trencrom.

Trencrom
Trencrom submitted by h_fenton : Trencrom Hill from the south, a kite aerial photograph. 9 April 2010

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 85m WNW 288° Trencrom Castle Well* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SW51723625)
 215m ENE 65° Giant's Well (Trencrom)* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SW520363)
 692m NE 43° The Bowl Rock* Rock Outcrop (SW523367)
 722m SW 227° Ninnesbridge Barrow Cemetery* Barrow Cemetery (SW51253575)
 1.1km NNE 24° Trevarrack Round* Ancient Village or Settlement (SW523372)
 1.2km NE 36° Beersheeba* Standing Stone (Menhir) (SW5251637128)
 1.4km WSW 243° Trembethow barrows Barrow Cemetery (SW50513564)
 1.4km WNW 291° Cripplesease Settlement* Ancient Village or Settlement (SW505368)
 1.4km WSW 259° Brunnion Cross* Ancient Cross (SW50373600)
 1.6km SSE 159° Collurian Well Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SW523347)
 1.6km WNW 300° Trink Hill* Round Barrow(s) (SW504371)
 1.8km W 272° Cuckoo Rock (Cornwall)* Rock Outcrop (SW50003638)
 1.8km WNW 296° Giew Mine* Standing Stone (Menhir) (SW502371)
 1.8km S 176° Tregellas Well* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SW5183734388)
 2.0km SSE 157° Whitecross (Penwith)* Ancient Cross (SW5248534390)
 2.3km SSW 200° St Michael's standing stone* Modern Stone Circle etc (SW509341)
 2.3km NNE 29° Long Stone (Carbis Bay)* Standing Stone (Menhir) (SW5303838211)
 2.4km ENE 78° Sea Lane Cross* Ancient Cross (SW54213661)
 2.5km ENE 71° Fenton Saurus Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SW542369)
 2.5km S 170° Tregender Cross* Ancient Cross (SW5212333747)
 2.5km SW 235° Gear Hut Circle and Round* Ancient Village or Settlement (SW49653484)
 2.9km ENE 67° Higher Lelant Cross* Ancient Cross (SW54523721)
 2.9km NNW 330° Halsetown Cross* Ancient Cross (SW50463879)
 3.0km NE 34° Fairy Well (Carbis Bay)* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SW536386)
 3.0km S 190° Crowlas holed stone* Holed Stone (SW51133325)
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"Trencrom" | Login/Create an Account | 6 News and Comments
  
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Re: Trencrom by MoreOutdoor on Sunday, 17 September 2023
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The sighting of this Iron Age fort had so many advantages giving 360 deg views of the area
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Re: Trencrom by Anonymous on Sunday, 13 January 2013
I lived up on Trencrom for one winter in an big old rented house called Trecobben, it's since been renovated to a lovely house by it's owners. I used to sometimes look after the former owner's goats for her and stood at the top whilst they grazed. I could see for miles around, as far as St. Michael's Mount. The owner lived in a nearby house called Badgers Croft, she had around 30 cats and ducks etc but foxes kept killing the ducks/geese.
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Re: Trencrom by Anonymous on Tuesday, 11 August 2009
Visited Trencrom in August 09 and was struck by the silence which purveys over these ancient sites. Similar to Men-An-Tol where the quiet actually hurts your ears....well worth the climb for the views.
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Trencrom by AngieLake on Wednesday, 18 October 2006
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This settlement, fort, ritual centre..... whatever... is situated approximately two-thirds of the way between St Michael's Mount and St.Ives Bay in one of the narrowest necks of land of the 'Big Toe' of England. I believe Trencrom Hill now lies on part of the modern 'resurrection' of the 'St. Michael's Way' footpath of the early Christian missionaries?
Perhaps this footpath existed many years/centuries prior to that, worn hard by early travellers/traders who wanted to walk overland from the south coast (or vice versa), rather than face the treacherous seas around Lands End, then stopped here to rest, or to offer up pleas to their gods to grant them a safe return sea journey to wherever they came from?
Gradually, a reputation for that aspect of the site may have spread, and people may have come here just for the spiritual benefits.
The fact that there was also a well on the hill slopes would have made it an ideal place.
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Re: Trencrom by AngieLake on Wednesday, 18 October 2006
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I think there's more to Trencrom than meets the eye. Its earliest use could have been that of an important ritual centre. Excuse me if this sounds far-fetched, but I like to spend some time at places that intrigue me, just looking at possibilities. I'm not saying 'Trencrom WAS a ritual centre," I'm just putting forward some ideas for consideration. (BTW, I didn't dowse it!)
Firstly, there's the magnificent position, with clear views to all directions, and quite spectacular ones at that - for Cornwall, at least! St Michael's Mount is due south from the southern entrance, and there is a huge natural pile of rocks at the northern end of the flat summit, which, when viewed from the vicinity of a rock basin at the SE, appears to nestle in the fold of the hills to the NW. You can imagine that when the sun sets on the Summer Solstice, it would possibly go down above this rock.
If you stand on the top of this rock pile, (which I nicknamed 'the Gorsedd rock') you can see another similar pile of rocks slightly lower down to the NW. (I nicknamed that pile 'the second Gorsedd rock'). Both of those rock piles have rock basins on their summit. OK, I may be a born romantic, but couldn't you just see some ancient priest anointing someone from those basins, while near to the sky, overlooking that panoramic view?
Back to the rock basin at the SE rim of the fort. Here, if you stand, within the perimeter, behind it, and look straight out to the distant horizon, the basin aligns with a dip in the distant hills (Godolphin Hill may be one?) at 125 degs - not far off the Winter Solstice sunrise? While, in the other direction the basin aligns with Summer Solstice sunset over the 'Gorsedd rock'.
When on the top of 'Gorsedd two', I wondered about the one large-, with three smaller- rock basins beside it. Also, the waves along the side of the balancing rock there were unusual. Also, a pointed stone seemed to have been erected near the basins.
I do understand that those basins are probably naturally-weathered and this can happen over many years, so maybe they weren't very deep in ancient times, but they could also have been man-made.
The stone at the Eastern gateway is also very 'megalithic' in appearance.
The surface of the plateau is very level, and ideal for a gathering of people for ceremonies, with a raised bank towards the SE. On the inner side of this raised area were the two pits which Jim Champions photo shows as hut circles.
The southern gateway is lined with a large (perhaps naturally occuring) stone, and aligns perfectly with St Michael's Mount to the South.
Could that stone once have stood erect, I wonder?
Others can probably add to this idea, as I've no doubt missed many features. (I didn't find the west gate, nor the well, for instance.)
I noticed that Hamish Miller, who lives on the hill's slopes, wrote about many legends concerning this hill in his book, "The Dance of the Dragon." Another name for it is "Trecrobben".
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Re: Trencrom by Anonymous on Saturday, 29 July 2006

There is an image of the huge stone outcrop at the summit here: http://www.pilgrimsall.org/placesofpilgrimage/t/Trencrom.html


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