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The Rumps

Cornwall, England · Atlas EN0654

The Rumps is a promontory fort in St Minver Highlands, Cornwall, England.

Other names on the record: Rumps Point and Pentire Fort.

It is recorded as both extant and likely destroyed, with a partial multivallate rampart form, surface evidence of stone wall, and an enclosed area of 3.1 hectares.

Survival on the ground may be uneven.

The topographic record places it on a coastal promontory, at 63 m, and facing north.

Recorded land use includes coastal grassland.

Dating evidence is recorded for 400 BC–AD 50 and AD 50–400 (Artefactual). Reliability is recorded as B - Medium.

A scheduled monument number is recorded (1004625).

Location

Atlas number
EN0654 (654)
Country
England
Current county or unitary authority
Cornwall
Historic county
Cornwall
Parish, community, or townland
St Minver Highlands
National Grid reference
SW93408108
Latitude
50.59273
Longitude
-4.92042
Altitude
63 m

Form and condition

Type
promontory fort
Condition
Extant and Likely destroyed
Morphology
partial multivallate
Complete rampart circuit
No
Number of ramparts
3
Ramparts by quadrant
NE 0, SE 3, SW 3, NW 0
Number of ditches
3
Possible original entrances
1
Breaks through the ramparts
1
Enclosed area
3.1 ha
Enclosing works, as visible
stone wall
Enclosing works, excavated
earthen bank, stone wall, and palisade
Also recorded
multi-period enclosure system and ditches
Entrance forms
Over-lapping (South)

Landscape

Topographic position
coastal promontory
Aspect
north
Land use
coastal grassland

Dating

Dating
400 BC–AD 50 and AD 50–400
Dating evidence
Artefactual
Dating reliability
B - Medium

Interior and investigation

Interior surface
curvilinear platforms and other roundhouse evidence
Interior excavation
roundhouses
Finds
pottery, animal bones, and lithics
Investigations
1st Identified Written Reference (1584); 1st Identified Map Depiction (1881); Other (1972); Other (1978); Other (2006); Excavation (1963-1967)

Identifiers

Scheduled monument number
1004625
HER
Cornwall and Scilly MCO6575-77 (second identifier 26312)
National record
record SW 98 SW 1; monument 431052
Wikidata
Q31114707

Sources

References

  1. Anon 1963. Field Guide, Cornwall Archaeological Society.
  2. Brooks, R.T. 1965, The Rumps, St Minver: First interim report of the 1964 season, Cornish Archaeol, 4, 26-34
  3. Brooks, R.T. 1966, The Rumps, St Minver: Second interim report of the 1965 season, Cornish Archaeol, 5, 4-10.
  4. Brooks, R.T. 1974. The excavation of The Rumps cliff castle, St Minver, Cornwall, Cornish Arch, 13, 5-50.
  5. Cotton, M.A. 1958-9. Cornish Cliff Castles, Proc West Cornwall Fld Club, 2, 3, 119.
  6. Johnson, N. and Rose, P. 1982. Defended settlement in Cornwall - an illustrated discussion, In ed. D. Miles, The Romano-British countryside: Studies in rural settlement and economy, BAR Brit Ser 103, 151-207.
  7. Page, W. ed. 1906. The Victoria History of the County of Cornwall, 1, London: James Street, 455.
  8. Quinell, H. 1986. Cornwall during the Iron Age and Roman period, Cornish Archaeol, 25, 111-34.