Prideaux Castle
Encyclopedia
Prideaux Castle is a quadrivallate Iron Age
hillfort situated atop a 133 m (435 ft) high conical hill near the southern boundary of the parish of Luxulyan
, Cornwall
, in the United Kingdom
. It is also sometimes referred to as Prideaux Warren, Prideaux War-Ring, or Prideaux Hillfort.
This site should not be confused with the historically linked, but quite distinct Elizabethan stately home
called Prideaux Place
, in Padstow
, Cornwall.
s are quite distinct, although overgrown with trees on the north and east sides. They appear to be constructed of earth and rubble. The third rampart is only fragmentarily represented, but easily traced, due to the vegetation. A fourth, outermost wall is discerned on aerial photographs, or on the 1888 Ordnance Survey map. This outermost wall is in the form of an incomplete "D" shape, extending to the west and south on the downhill slope of the site. There are two entrances, typical of the small hillfort, located on the eastern and northern side (i.e., opposite the fourth wall), where it is most wooded. There is no evidence of dressed stones. The palisade
and any internal structures would have been of wooden construction and must have perished without trace.
The enclosed area is level and described from the ground as being somewhat elliptical, although from aerial photographs it appears nearly circular. Its diameter is about 100 m, with an area of about 0.8 ha
. Its present use is as a cattle pasture, with a frangible, pinkish stone (possibly Devonian
sandstone
) forming the substrate. Its condition is slowly deteriorating, with less structure now visible than was shown on the 1888 survey map. The northern and eastern ramparts are overgrown with trees, merging into forest. In the vicinity, there is much evidence of mining for iron, tin
and kaolinite
, with quarries
, pits
, shafts
and dumps in abundance.
. Cornwall has functioned continuously since high antiquity as a centre of tin
mining and trade, tin being an essential ingredient of bronze
. The fort is situated not far from the ancient trade route which later became known as the Saints' Way
; from here tin was traded as far as the Levant
.
The central role of tin mining in the local economy seem to have a continuity leading up to the stannary "Pridias", which in later times was one of the "tithings" (administrative districts) of the Blackmoor Stannary, centered at nearby Hensbarrow Beacon
, with its records stored at the church in Luxulyan
.
of pre-Roman Britain
on the basis of its general form. The fort does not appear to be listed in the English Heritage
or Cornwall Heritage Trust registries, and it does not appear ever to have been the subject of professional archaeological investigation. Because the enclosed area is less than 1 ha
, it would be classified as a "small multivallate hillfort", resembling most others of that type.
forces, as for example, Castle Dore
. However, archaeological evidence from any later period is also absent.
The western branch of the Bronze Age
trade route later known as Saint's Way passes the foot of the hill on which the fort is situated, less than 100 m away on the southwest slope. Local legend would have it that the tin
merchant
Joseph of Arimathea
passed this way with the boy Jesus
on his pilgrimage
to Glastonbury
. A cross in nearby Fowey
memorializes this legend.
On a clear day looking in an east-southeasterly direction from the fort, it might be possible to see Castle Dore
, a somewhat more well-known hillfort situated at a distance of approximately 5 km (3 mi), as the crow flies, mentioned below. Castle Dore has been traditionally assigned to Mark of Cornwall
, husband of Iseult
, in the Arthurian cycle. There is a monument believed by some to refer to Tristan
("Drustanus") in nearby Fowey
at .
has long been employed colloquially to designate prehistoric
remains of this general type throughout Great Britain
. As examples of other hillforts called "castle" in the same vicinity, one may note Castle Dore
at or Castle an Dinas
at , both within a few kilometers of Prideaux Castle.
It could also be observed that the word "castle" comes from the Latin
word castella "little camp", from castrum "camp". Castella could also refer to a fortified village, although Prideaux is rather too small for this characterization.
On the 1888 survey map the Prideaux site is designated as "Camp". Nearby Castle Dore
to the east and Castilly Henge to the west were both reoccupied and used as military encampments during the English Civil War
in 1664.
At least one prehistoric British hillfort was rebuilt in later times with a Norman Motte-and-bailey
style wooden castle, for example, Castle Neroche.
However, it must be stressed that there is currently no physical evidence that Prideaux Castle was ever rebuilt after its abandonment at the end of the Iron Age
.
granted a coat of arms
to Prideaux, the accompanying pedigree
being certified by Stephen Isaacson Tucker, Rouge Croix Pursuivant
(a junior officer of arms
) of the College. This genealogy was in turn based on the heraldic visitation
of Cornwall in 1620.
According to the Visitation
There are no actual dates recorded for Paganus, but a death date is given for his son:
The grant of the College of Arms has the effect of making the status of Paganus Prideaux to be "official," since the College is an agency of the UK government. The Visitation upon which the grant is based may be questioned, since the heralds were often venal, and were sometimes suborned to accept family legends as authentic. In the absence of corroboration, it might be justifiable to regard Paganus as being semi-legendary.
It has sometimes been claimed that Paganus Prideaux was a "Companion of the Conqueror," based on College of Heralds certification. However, there is no mention of any similar name in the Battle Abbey Roll
(highly dubious source though that may be), nor in any other known record.
Sir John Maclean in his "Skeleton Pedigree of Prideaux" (basing himself on the work of Richard Polwhele
, as well as on the Visitations), elaborates on the origin of Paganus:
This is an anachronism, since neither Luxulion (Luxulyan) nor Fowey can be shown to have existed in the 11th century. Note, however, the use of the Cornish
form of the name "Pridias." Reference to these place names does imply that Polwhele is not confusing "Prideaux Castle" with "Prideaux Place".
At Prideaux is now located a bed and breakfast
in a house which is advertised thus:
On what basis this claim is made is unclear. The touchstone of antiquity of English (or Cornish) estates is the Domesday Book
of 1086 (11th century) as it frequently mentions both current state of affairs and that under Edward the Confessor. The manor nearest to Prideaux Castle is Tywardreath
(Tiwardrai) manor, at , about 1.5 km to the southeast. Next nearest would have been Bodiggo
(Bodenwitghi) at at about 2.5 km. Domesday mentions nothing that could be identified by name with either Luxulyan or Prideaux (Pridias).
Both of these manors were held by Richard Fitz Thorold from Robert, Count of Mortain
, William the Conqueror's half brother. If Paganus existed, and he was "Lord of Prideaux," he would apparently have been a vassal of Richard.
. Britain, specifically Cornwall
was famous for tin
, a key ingredient of bronze
and thus an important trade item during the Bronze Age
.
In 1201 King John of England chartered four stannaries
in Cornwall: Foweymoor (Bodmin Moor), Blackmoor (Hensbarrow downs near Saint Austell), Tywarnhaile (Truro to Saint Agnes) and Penwith-with-Kerrier. Blackmoor was the oldest stannary
, with eight subdivisions called tithings.
Pridis (which is near the Cornish
original of Prideaux) is listed as one of the eight tithings of the Blackmoor stannary.
or, folk etymology, of the name "Prideaux Warren" has yielded "Prideaux War-Ring", based on the apparently defensive purpose of the concentric ramparts, which were undoubtedly surmounted by a palisade during the fort's heyday. There is no ordinary precedent for the usage "war ring."
could hardly be more unequivocal about its identity as a rabbitry. However, the identification is likely somewhat fanciful or whimsical. Pilsdon Pen
, a large hillfort contains the remains of what is described as a (typical) rectilinear mediaeval domestic warren.
Because of the French spelling of the name "Prideaux," the presumed connection with the Conqueror, and because cuniculture
is believed to be a Norman innovation into Britain, "Prideaux Warren" has been often been associated with the domestic warren. There is no evidence, however, of any of the typical structures associated with this type of animal husbandry.
This use has not been proven; but the topology of the general area suggests that what may have been involved was in fact the free warren of Prideaux (below).
The maps and satellite views show a crescent of woods surrounding the fort on the north, east, and south. Some of this forestation has been backfilled during recent periods; other parts are known to be ancient.
At the time of the semi-legendary Paganus, which would have coincided with the heyday of Norman afforestation
, the fort would have been centered on a wooded area of perhaps six square kilometers. This would enough area to support the beasts of a free warren, or even those of a chase
.
Nearby hillfort Castle Dore
has been dated to the 3rd or 2nd century BC, and was likely abandoned during the Roman occupation, only to be reoccupied as a hunting lodge in the pre-Saxon period.
The remains of a large (27 m by 12 m) wooden structure were found during the excavation at this fort. They are interpreted as having been a hunting lodge. If Prideaux was a free warren, a lodge would also have been useful. However, no remains are in evidence.
"Paganus, Lord of Prideaux" would then be understood as referring to the franchisee, or an officer, of "Prideaux (Free) Warren."
origin.
, , . (As many as 40 variant spellings have been recorded.) The first documented appearance of the French
spelling did not appear until Plantagenet times, apparently for political advantage. (See e.g. Richard Plantagenet, Earl of Cornwall
.) For at least the past several centuries the name has been in Cornwall and Devon
. The final /ks/ is a spelling pronunciation
of the x in the French orthography.
derived it from the French phrase près d'eaux "near [the] waters":
This etymology is a somewhat implausible for a hilly location at an elevation of some 135 meters located several kilometers from the sea. It is, however, the case that on a clear day, one can see the sea, valuable for preparing for the attack of pirates. However, the nearest inlet of the sea (at Pontsmill, one or two kilometers distant) became silted up by as much as several meters of detritus from the mining operations.
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
hillfort situated atop a 133 m (435 ft) high conical hill near the southern boundary of the parish of Luxulyan
Luxulyan
Luxulyan , also spelled Luxullian or Luxulian, is a village and civil parish in central Cornwall, United Kingdom. The village lies four miles northeast of St Austell and six miles south of Bodmin...
, Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It is also sometimes referred to as Prideaux Warren, Prideaux War-Ring, or Prideaux Hillfort.
This site should not be confused with the historically linked, but quite distinct Elizabethan stately home
Stately home
A stately home is a "great country house". It is thus a palatial great house or in some cases an updated castle, located in the British Isles, mostly built between the mid-16th century and the early part of the 20th century, as well as converted abbeys and other church property...
called Prideaux Place
Prideaux Place
Prideaux Place is a country house in Padstow, Cornwall, England.For over 400 years, Prideaux Place has been the home of the Prideaux-Brune family. Completed in 1592, the house has been enlarged and modified by successive generations...
, in Padstow
Padstow
Padstow is a town, civil parish and fishing port on the north coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town is situated on the west bank of the River Camel estuary approximately five miles northwest of Wadebridge, ten miles northwest of Bodmin and ten miles northeast of Newquay...
, Cornwall.
Physical description
The remains of the first and second circular rampartCircular rampart
A circular rampart is an embankment built in the shape of a circle that was used as part of the defences for a military fortification, hill fort or refuge, or was built for religious purposes or as a place of gathering....
s are quite distinct, although overgrown with trees on the north and east sides. They appear to be constructed of earth and rubble. The third rampart is only fragmentarily represented, but easily traced, due to the vegetation. A fourth, outermost wall is discerned on aerial photographs, or on the 1888 Ordnance Survey map. This outermost wall is in the form of an incomplete "D" shape, extending to the west and south on the downhill slope of the site. There are two entrances, typical of the small hillfort, located on the eastern and northern side (i.e., opposite the fourth wall), where it is most wooded. There is no evidence of dressed stones. The palisade
Palisade
A palisade is a steel or wooden fence or wall of variable height, usually used as a defensive structure.- Typical construction :Typical construction consisted of small or mid sized tree trunks aligned vertically, with no spacing in between. The trunks were sharpened or pointed at the top, and were...
and any internal structures would have been of wooden construction and must have perished without trace.
The enclosed area is level and described from the ground as being somewhat elliptical, although from aerial photographs it appears nearly circular. Its diameter is about 100 m, with an area of about 0.8 ha
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
. Its present use is as a cattle pasture, with a frangible, pinkish stone (possibly Devonian
Devonian
The Devonian is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic Era spanning from the end of the Silurian Period, about 416.0 ± 2.8 Mya , to the beginning of the Carboniferous Period, about 359.2 ± 2.5 Mya...
sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
) forming the substrate. Its condition is slowly deteriorating, with less structure now visible than was shown on the 1888 survey map. The northern and eastern ramparts are overgrown with trees, merging into forest. In the vicinity, there is much evidence of mining for iron, tin
Tin
Tin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn and atomic number 50. It is a main group metal in group 14 of the periodic table. Tin shows chemical similarity to both neighboring group 14 elements, germanium and lead and has two possible oxidation states, +2 and the slightly more stable +4...
and kaolinite
Kaolinite
Kaolinite is a clay mineral, part of the group of industrial minerals, with the chemical composition Al2Si2O54. It is a layered silicate mineral, with one tetrahedral sheet linked through oxygen atoms to one octahedral sheet of alumina octahedra...
, with quarries
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
, pits
Open-pit mining
Open-pit mining or opencast mining refers to a method of extracting rock or minerals from the earth by their removal from an open pit or borrow....
, shafts
Shaft mining
Shaft mining or shaft sinking refers to the method of excavating a vertical or near-vertical tunnel from the top down, where there is initially no access to the bottom....
and dumps in abundance.
Bronze Age
The earliest occupation in the vicinity of the site dates from the Bronze AgeBronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
. Cornwall has functioned continuously since high antiquity as a centre of tin
Tin
Tin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn and atomic number 50. It is a main group metal in group 14 of the periodic table. Tin shows chemical similarity to both neighboring group 14 elements, germanium and lead and has two possible oxidation states, +2 and the slightly more stable +4...
mining and trade, tin being an essential ingredient of bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
. The fort is situated not far from the ancient trade route which later became known as the Saints' Way
Saints' Way
The Saints' Way is a long-distance footpath in Cornwall, in the United Kingdom.The footpath runs from Padstow in the north to Fowey in the south, a distance of 26 miles . The path is well marked and guide books are available....
; from here tin was traded as far as the Levant
Levant
The Levant or ) is the geographic region and culture zone of the "eastern Mediterranean littoral between Anatolia and Egypt" . The Levant includes most of modern Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, the Palestinian territories, and sometimes parts of Turkey and Iraq, and corresponds roughly to the...
.
The central role of tin mining in the local economy seem to have a continuity leading up to the stannary "Pridias", which in later times was one of the "tithings" (administrative districts) of the Blackmoor Stannary, centered at nearby Hensbarrow Beacon
Hensbarrow Beacon
Hensbarrow Beacon is a hill in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated a mile north-west of Stenalees village at .The natural summit of Hensbarrow Beacon is 312m high and is marked by a trig point. It can be reached by a short walk from the road to the west...
, with its records stored at the church in Luxulyan
Luxulyan
Luxulyan , also spelled Luxullian or Luxulian, is a village and civil parish in central Cornwall, United Kingdom. The village lies four miles northeast of St Austell and six miles south of Bodmin...
.
- See also Mining in Cornwall and Devon
Iron Age
Without dateable artifacts, the hillfort is nonetheless assigned to the Iron AgeIron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
of pre-Roman Britain
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
on the basis of its general form. The fort does not appear to be listed in the English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
or Cornwall Heritage Trust registries, and it does not appear ever to have been the subject of professional archaeological investigation. Because the enclosed area is less than 1 ha
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
, it would be classified as a "small multivallate hillfort", resembling most others of that type.
Small multivallate hillforts are usually regarded as settlements of high status, occupied on a permanent basis during the Iron Age. Recent interpretations stress that the construction of multiple earthworks may have as much to do with ostentation and display, as with defence.
Romano-British period
There is currently no physical evidence that any structure was ever built upon the site subsequent to the Iron Age. It may have been used as a temporary camp by the Romans or even by English Civil WarEnglish Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
forces, as for example, Castle Dore
Castle Dore
Castle Dore is an Iron Age and early mediaeval hill fort near Fowey in Cornwall, United Kingdom located at .- Description and History :It consists of circular bank and ditch enclosure with a second enclosure nearby thought to have been an animal corral...
. However, archaeological evidence from any later period is also absent.
Most small multivallate hillforts seem to have been constructed between the 4th and 2nd centuries BC. A few examples, such as The Caburn, were built somewhat later, during the 1st century BC. On many sites abandonment seems to have occurred during the 1st century BC, while on others occupation persisted until the mid-first century AD.
The western branch of the Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
trade route later known as Saint's Way passes the foot of the hill on which the fort is situated, less than 100 m away on the southwest slope. Local legend would have it that the tin
Tin
Tin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn and atomic number 50. It is a main group metal in group 14 of the periodic table. Tin shows chemical similarity to both neighboring group 14 elements, germanium and lead and has two possible oxidation states, +2 and the slightly more stable +4...
merchant
Merchant
A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
Joseph of Arimathea
Joseph of Arimathea
Joseph of Arimathea was, according to the Gospels, the man who donated his own prepared tomb for the burial of Jesus after Jesus' Crucifixion. He is mentioned in all four Gospels.-Gospel references:...
passed this way with the boy Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
on his pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
to Glastonbury
Glastonbury
Glastonbury is a small town in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town, which is in the Mendip district, had a population of 8,784 in the 2001 census...
. A cross in nearby Fowey
Fowey
Fowey is a small town, civil parish and cargo port at the mouth of the River Fowey in south Cornwall, United Kingdom. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 2,273.-Early history:...
memorializes this legend.
On a clear day looking in an east-southeasterly direction from the fort, it might be possible to see Castle Dore
Castle Dore
Castle Dore is an Iron Age and early mediaeval hill fort near Fowey in Cornwall, United Kingdom located at .- Description and History :It consists of circular bank and ditch enclosure with a second enclosure nearby thought to have been an animal corral...
, a somewhat more well-known hillfort situated at a distance of approximately 5 km (3 mi), as the crow flies, mentioned below. Castle Dore has been traditionally assigned to Mark of Cornwall
Mark of Cornwall
Mark of Cornwall was a king of Kernow in the early 6th century. He is most famous for his appearance in Arthurian legend as the uncle of Tristan and husband of Iseult, who engage in a secret affair.-The legend:Mark sent Tristan as his proxy to fetch his young bride, the Princess Iseult, from...
, husband of Iseult
Iseult
Iseult is the name of several characters in the Arthurian story of Tristan and Iseult. The most prominent is Iseult of Ireland, wife of Mark of Cornwall and adulterous lover of Sir Tristan. Her mother, the Queen of Ireland, is also named Iseult...
, in the Arthurian cycle. There is a monument believed by some to refer to Tristan
Tristan
Tristan is one of the main characters of the Tristan and Iseult story, a Cornish hero and one of the Knights of the Round Table featuring in the Matter of Britain...
("Drustanus") in nearby Fowey
Fowey
Fowey is a small town, civil parish and cargo port at the mouth of the River Fowey in south Cornwall, United Kingdom. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 2,273.-Early history:...
at .
Castle
The word castleCastle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
has long been employed colloquially to designate prehistoric
Prehistory
Prehistory is the span of time before recorded history. Prehistory can refer to the period of human existence before the availability of those written records with which recorded history begins. More broadly, it refers to all the time preceding human existence and the invention of writing...
remains of this general type throughout Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. As examples of other hillforts called "castle" in the same vicinity, one may note Castle Dore
Castle Dore
Castle Dore is an Iron Age and early mediaeval hill fort near Fowey in Cornwall, United Kingdom located at .- Description and History :It consists of circular bank and ditch enclosure with a second enclosure nearby thought to have been an animal corral...
at or Castle an Dinas
Castle an Dinas, St. Columb Major
Castle an Dinas is an Iron Age hillfort near St. Columb Major in Cornwall, UK and is considered one of the most important hillforts in the southwest of Britain. It dates from around the 3rd to 2nd century BCE and consists of three ditch and rampart concentric rings, 850 feet above sea level....
at , both within a few kilometers of Prideaux Castle.
It could also be observed that the word "castle" comes from the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
word castella "little camp", from castrum "camp". Castella could also refer to a fortified village, although Prideaux is rather too small for this characterization.
On the 1888 survey map the Prideaux site is designated as "Camp". Nearby Castle Dore
Castle Dore
Castle Dore is an Iron Age and early mediaeval hill fort near Fowey in Cornwall, United Kingdom located at .- Description and History :It consists of circular bank and ditch enclosure with a second enclosure nearby thought to have been an animal corral...
to the east and Castilly Henge to the west were both reoccupied and used as military encampments during the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
in 1664.
At least one prehistoric British hillfort was rebuilt in later times with a Norman Motte-and-bailey
Motte-and-bailey
A motte-and-bailey is a form of castle, with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised earthwork called a motte, accompanied by an enclosed courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade...
style wooden castle, for example, Castle Neroche.
It has long been recognised that the motte and bailey, like quite a few others around the country, was deliberately sited so as to make the best use of earthworks surviving from an earlier period. But the nature, size and date of the earlier earthworks was not known. Our analysis of the surface remains strongly suggests that much of the defensive circuit originally belonged to a 'hillfort', built in the Iron Age, probably some time between 500 BC and 50 BC.
However, it must be stressed that there is currently no physical evidence that Prideaux Castle was ever rebuilt after its abandonment at the end of the Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
.
History
Unlike many other hillforts, Prideaux Castle has a certain amount of written history associated with it, in this case extending back to the Norman Conquest.Paganus Prideaux
On 9 March 1874 the College of ArmsCollege of Arms
The College of Arms, or Heralds’ College, is an office regulating heraldry and granting new armorial bearings for England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
granted a coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
to Prideaux, the accompanying pedigree
Pedigree chart
A pedigree chart is a diagram that shows the occurrence and appearance or phenotypes of a particular gene or organism and its ancestors from one generation to the next, most commonly humans, show dogs, and race horses....
being certified by Stephen Isaacson Tucker, Rouge Croix Pursuivant
Rouge Croix Pursuivant
Rouge Croix Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary is a junior officer of arms of the College of Arms. The office is named after St George's Cross which has been a symbol of England since the time of the Crusades...
(a junior officer of arms
Officer of arms
An officer of arms is a person appointed by a sovereign or state with authority to perform one or more of the following functions:*to control and initiate armorial matters*to arrange and participate in ceremonies of state...
) of the College. This genealogy was in turn based on the heraldic visitation
Heraldic visitation
Heraldic Visitations were tours of inspection undertaken by Kings of Arms in England, Wales and Ireland in order to regulate and register the coats of arms of nobility and gentry and boroughs, and to record pedigrees...
of Cornwall in 1620.
According to the Visitation
- Paganus Prideaux was Lord of Prideaux in the Conqueror's Time.
There are no actual dates recorded for Paganus, but a death date is given for his son:
- Richardus Prideaux dominus de Prideaux obijt 1122 temp. H. 1.
- Richard Prideaux lord of Prideaux died 1122 in the time of Henry IHenry I of EnglandHenry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
The grant of the College of Arms has the effect of making the status of Paganus Prideaux to be "official," since the College is an agency of the UK government. The Visitation upon which the grant is based may be questioned, since the heralds were often venal, and were sometimes suborned to accept family legends as authentic. In the absence of corroboration, it might be justifiable to regard Paganus as being semi-legendary.
It has sometimes been claimed that Paganus Prideaux was a "Companion of the Conqueror," based on College of Heralds certification. However, there is no mention of any similar name in the Battle Abbey Roll
Battle Abbey Roll
The Battle Abbey Roll is supposed to have been a list, lost since at least the 16th.c., of the Companions of William the Conqueror, which had been erected or affixed as a memorial within Battle Abbey, Hastings, founded by William ex-voto on the spot of the slaying of Harold in the Battle of...
(highly dubious source though that may be), nor in any other known record.
Sir John Maclean in his "Skeleton Pedigree of Prideaux" (basing himself on the work of Richard Polwhele
Richard Polwhele
Richard Polwhele was a Cornish clergyman, poet and topographer.-Biography:Born at Truro, Cornwall, Polwhele met literary luminaries Catharine Macaulay and Hannah More at an early age. He was educated at Truro Grammar School, where he precociously published The Fate of Llewellyn...
, as well as on the Visitations), elaborates on the origin of Paganus:
- Paganus de Prideaux vel ["or"] Pridias, Lord of Prideaux in Luxulion near Fowey co. Cornwall, before the Conquest, living at Prideaux Castle
This is an anachronism, since neither Luxulion (Luxulyan) nor Fowey can be shown to have existed in the 11th century. Note, however, the use of the Cornish
Cornish language
Cornish is a Brythonic Celtic language and a recognised minority language of the United Kingdom. Along with Welsh and Breton, it is directly descended from the ancient British language spoken throughout much of Britain before the English language came to dominate...
form of the name "Pridias." Reference to these place names does imply that Polwhele is not confusing "Prideaux Castle" with "Prideaux Place".
Domesday manors
There are at the present time three inhabited places arranged in an arc or line a few hundred metres to the north of the Castle. On the 1888 map they are called "Prideaux," "Little Prideaux," and "Great Prideaux."At Prideaux is now located a bed and breakfast
Bed and breakfast
A bed and breakfast is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, but usually does not offer other meals. Since the 1980s, the meaning of the term has also extended to include accommodations that are also known as "self-catering" establishments...
in a house which is advertised thus:
The Old Manor originates from the 9th century, when the land was granted to Pagan de Prideaux by William the Conqueror, and when the Manor was built around a central quadrangle.
On what basis this claim is made is unclear. The touchstone of antiquity of English (or Cornish) estates is the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
of 1086 (11th century) as it frequently mentions both current state of affairs and that under Edward the Confessor. The manor nearest to Prideaux Castle is Tywardreath
Tywardreath
Tywardreath is a small hilltop village in southern Cornwall, United Kingdom. about north west of Fowey. It is located in a sheltered spot overlooking a silted up estuary opposite Par and near the beach of Par Sands...
(Tiwardrai) manor, at , about 1.5 km to the southeast. Next nearest would have been Bodiggo
Bodiggo
Bodiggo is a hamlet in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated half-a-mile north of Luxulyan, five miles north-east of St Austell....
(Bodenwitghi) at at about 2.5 km. Domesday mentions nothing that could be identified by name with either Luxulyan or Prideaux (Pridias).
Both of these manors were held by Richard Fitz Thorold from Robert, Count of Mortain
Robert, Count of Mortain
Robert, Count of Mortain, 1st Earl of Cornwall was a Norman nobleman and the half-brother of William I of England. Robert was the son of Herluin de Conteville and Herleva of Falaise and was full brother to Odo of Bayeux. The exact year of Robert's birth is unknown Robert, Count of Mortain, 1st...
, William the Conqueror's half brother. If Paganus existed, and he was "Lord of Prideaux," he would apparently have been a vassal of Richard.
Pridis (Prideaux) stannary tithing
The economy of Prideaux may have been based in part on the stannaryStannary
The word stannary is historically applied to:*A tin mine, especially in Cornwall or Devon, South West England*A region containing tin works *A chartered entity comprising such a region, its works, and its workers...
. Britain, specifically Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
was famous for tin
Tin
Tin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn and atomic number 50. It is a main group metal in group 14 of the periodic table. Tin shows chemical similarity to both neighboring group 14 elements, germanium and lead and has two possible oxidation states, +2 and the slightly more stable +4...
, a key ingredient of bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
and thus an important trade item during the Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
.
In 1201 King John of England chartered four stannaries
Stannary
The word stannary is historically applied to:*A tin mine, especially in Cornwall or Devon, South West England*A region containing tin works *A chartered entity comprising such a region, its works, and its workers...
in Cornwall: Foweymoor (Bodmin Moor), Blackmoor (Hensbarrow downs near Saint Austell), Tywarnhaile (Truro to Saint Agnes) and Penwith-with-Kerrier. Blackmoor was the oldest stannary
Stannary
The word stannary is historically applied to:*A tin mine, especially in Cornwall or Devon, South West England*A region containing tin works *A chartered entity comprising such a region, its works, and its workers...
, with eight subdivisions called tithings.
Pridis (which is near the Cornish
Cornish language
Cornish is a Brythonic Celtic language and a recognised minority language of the United Kingdom. Along with Welsh and Breton, it is directly descended from the ancient British language spoken throughout much of Britain before the English language came to dominate...
original of Prideaux) is listed as one of the eight tithings of the Blackmoor stannary.
Warren
Prideaux Castle is also been known as Prideaux Warren. In the popular imagination, this has found two explanations.War ring
MetanalysisMetanalysis
In linguistics, metanalysis is the act of breaking down a word or phrase into segments or meanings not original to it. The term was coined by the linguist Otto Jespersen, from Greek elements meaning "a change of breakdown"....
or, folk etymology, of the name "Prideaux Warren" has yielded "Prideaux War-Ring", based on the apparently defensive purpose of the concentric ramparts, which were undoubtedly surmounted by a palisade during the fort's heyday. There is no ordinary precedent for the usage "war ring."
The question of rabbits
Coney's Castle hillfort in DorsetDorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
could hardly be more unequivocal about its identity as a rabbitry. However, the identification is likely somewhat fanciful or whimsical. Pilsdon Pen
Pilsdon Pen
Pilsdon Pen is a 277 metre hill in West Dorset, England, situated five miles west of Beaminster at the north end of the Marshwood Vale. It is Dorset's second highest point and has panoramic views extending for many miles...
, a large hillfort contains the remains of what is described as a (typical) rectilinear mediaeval domestic warren.
Because of the French spelling of the name "Prideaux," the presumed connection with the Conqueror, and because cuniculture
Cuniculture
Cuniculture is the agricultural practice of breeding and raising domestic rabbits, usually for their meat, fur, or wool. Some people, called rabbit fanciers, practice cuniculture predominantly for show or hobby. The practice, however, has started to decline.-External links:* * *...
is believed to be a Norman innovation into Britain, "Prideaux Warren" has been often been associated with the domestic warren. There is no evidence, however, of any of the typical structures associated with this type of animal husbandry.
This use has not been proven; but the topology of the general area suggests that what may have been involved was in fact the free warren of Prideaux (below).
Prideaux Warren
Adjacent to the fort are two extents of forest, one named "Prideaux Woods," the other "Warren Woods." Even after centuries of deforestation these join to another forest, "North Slope Woods," covering the south side of Luxulyan Valley.The maps and satellite views show a crescent of woods surrounding the fort on the north, east, and south. Some of this forestation has been backfilled during recent periods; other parts are known to be ancient.
Prideaux Wood (SX0655) near St Blazey is the site of a disused quarry. Around a quarter of this woodland is of ancient origin; the remainder being coniferous and planted in the 1960s. The conifers are gradually being removed, with care being taken not to disturb the numerous greater horseshoe bat colonies which roost here.
At the time of the semi-legendary Paganus, which would have coincided with the heyday of Norman afforestation
Afforestation
Afforestation is the establishment of a forest or stand of trees in an area where there was no forest. Reforestation is the reestablishment of forest cover, either naturally or artificially...
, the fort would have been centered on a wooded area of perhaps six square kilometers. This would enough area to support the beasts of a free warren, or even those of a chase
Chase (land)
In the United Kingdom a chase is a type of common land used for hunting to which there are no specifically designated officers and laws, but there are reserved hunting rights for one or more persons. Similarly, a Royal Chase is a type of Crown Estate by the same description, but where certain...
.
Nearby hillfort Castle Dore
Castle Dore
Castle Dore is an Iron Age and early mediaeval hill fort near Fowey in Cornwall, United Kingdom located at .- Description and History :It consists of circular bank and ditch enclosure with a second enclosure nearby thought to have been an animal corral...
has been dated to the 3rd or 2nd century BC, and was likely abandoned during the Roman occupation, only to be reoccupied as a hunting lodge in the pre-Saxon period.
The remains of a large (27 m by 12 m) wooden structure were found during the excavation at this fort. They are interpreted as having been a hunting lodge. If Prideaux was a free warren, a lodge would also have been useful. However, no remains are in evidence.
"Paganus, Lord of Prideaux" would then be understood as referring to the franchisee, or an officer, of "Prideaux (Free) Warren."
Cornish etymology
Most of the authorities agree that the earliest form of the name was something like prɪdjas, and that the name is of CornishCornish language
Cornish is a Brythonic Celtic language and a recognised minority language of the United Kingdom. Along with Welsh and Breton, it is directly descended from the ancient British language spoken throughout much of Britain before the English language came to dominate...
origin.
Spelling and pronunciation
The sons and grandsons of the semi-legendary "Paganus Prideaux" (or "Pagan Pridias") chose spellings likeFrench language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
spelling
Richard, 1st Earl of Cornwall
Richard of Cornwall was Count of Poitou , 1st Earl of Cornwall and German King...
.) For at least the past several centuries the name has been in Cornwall and Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
. The final /ks/ is a spelling pronunciation
Spelling pronunciation
A spelling pronunciation is a pronunciation that, instead of reflecting the way the word was pronounced by previous generations of speakers, is a rendering in sound of the word's spelling.-Examples of English words with common spelling pronunciations:...
of the x in the French orthography
"Hill fort"
A derivation from Cornish bre "hill" + Cornish dinas "castle; fort" → *bredinas may be suggested. A development from this otherwise plausible form would have to account for the initial devoicing, as well as the loss of the nasal.The "French connection"
The name Prideaux is well known, there having been numerous notables of this name. By its orthography, it is usually assumed to be of French origin, and is thus more often than not . Since the Visitations assign it to one Paganus Prideaux, "...who lived in the time of the Conqueror", it is easy to leap to the conclusion that the name is of Norman French origin."Near the waters"
Several fanciful etymologies have been proposed, based on the assumption of French origin. For example, the 18th century Cornish historian Thomas TonkinThomas Tonkin
-Early Life:He was born at Trevaunance, St Agnes, Cornwall, and baptised in its parish church on 26 September 1678, was the eldest son of Hugh Tonkin , vice-warden of the Stannaries 1701, and High Sheriff of Cornwall 1702, by his first wife, Frances , daughter of Walter Vincent of Trelevan, near...
derived it from the French phrase près d'eaux "near [the] waters":
This etymology is a somewhat implausible for a hilly location at an elevation of some 135 meters located several kilometers from the sea. It is, however, the case that on a clear day, one can see the sea, valuable for preparing for the attack of pirates. However, the nearest inlet of the sea (at Pontsmill, one or two kilometers distant) became silted up by as much as several meters of detritus from the mining operations.
"Pray to God"
Another fanciful etymology associates the name with the French prie Dieu ("pray God"), meaning "prayer bench."Other etymologies
Finally, several other attempts to find a French origin for the name are found here (Link accessed 2006-07-22).See also
External links
- Monuments Protection Programme: Small Multivallate Hill Forts
- Images of "Prideaux Hillfort"
- Chris Clarke's Prideaux Castle Page, with images
- Prehistoric Mining in Cornwall
- Medieval Mining in Cornwall
- UK Ordnance Survey Map of Prideaux Castle near St Blazey
- 1888 OS Map of Prideaux Castle Grid Ref: 205948,55622
- Aerial Photo of Prideaux Castle
- UK Ordnance Survey Map of Prideaux Place (Padstow)