Fogou
Iron Age 800 BC - AD 43
‘Fogou’ is a Cornish word meaning a cave, and Cornish fogous are prehistoric underground passages constructed by excavating a trench and lining its sides with either large stone blocks or drystone walling, and then roofing this passage with large flat slabs.
Fogous are often found in association with later Iron Age or Romano-British period settlements, but modern investigations have done little to solve the enigma of their function – they may be ritual structures, or have been used for storage or as a place of refuge.
Examples to visit
Halliggye
Sited close to the Helford river, Halliggye is a good example of a large well preserved Cornish fogou and is found within the earthworks of an associated contemporary Iron Age farming hamlet or Round.
Iron Age 800 BC - AD 43
‘Fogou’ is a Cornish word meaning a cave, and Cornish fogous are prehistoric underground passages constructed by excavating a trench and lining its sides with either large stone blocks or drystone walling, and then roofing this passage with large flat slabs.
Continue readingFogous are often found in association with later Iron Age or Romano-British period settlements, but modern investigations have done little to solve the enigma of their function – they may be ritual structures, or have been used for storage or as a place of refuge.
Examples to visit
Halliggye
Sited close to the Helford river, Halliggye is a good example of a large well preserved Cornish fogou and is found within the earthworks of an associated contemporary Iron Age farming hamlet or Round.