Halliggye Fogou, Nr Helston (Cornwall)

The largest and best-preserved of several mysterious underground tunnels associated with Cornish Iron Age settlements.

Summary 13th century buildings (or older) Free admission No smoking Free public car parking (nearby)

Introduction

Roofed and walled in stone, this complex of passages is the largest and best-preserved of several mysterious underground tunnels associated with Cornish Iron Age settlements. The purpose of such 'fogous' - a Cornish-language word meaning 'cave' - is unknown. Refuges, storage chambers or ritual shrines have all been suggested.

History to the present day

The underground complex at Halliggye is one of the most elaborate and best preserved fogous in Cornwall. It is all that remains of an early settlement.

Situated at the top of the hill, the fogou is a complex of underground passages built with massive stone slabs. It is thought to have been constructed in the 5th or 4th centuries BC, in the middle Iron Age.

Fogous, from the Cornish word 'ogo' meaning cave, are found only in the far west of Cornwall. Their original function is unclear. They may have been used to store valuables, or as refuges. Fogous could also have been places of ceremony and ritual.

The fogou was built within a small farming settlement known as a 'Round', surrounded by an earthwork enclosure. Over 2000 such settlements, dating from the Iron Age and Romano-British period, are known in Cornwall.

The Round at Halliggye was probably home to several family groups, who lived in four or five houses. Pottery found during recent excavations suggests that the settlement was occupied for 700 years, probably until the end of the Roman period.
 

Arrival information and how to find us

Address: Halliggye Fogou, Cornwall, , United Kingdom

Opening times:

 

May-Sep Reasonable daylight hours Mon - Sun.

Oct-Apr (inclusive) Closed - legally protected bat roost.

 

Admission prices:

 

Adult:Free

Children:Free

Concession:Free 

NB: whilst access to the fogou is free, charged may be lievied for access to other areas of the Trelowarren Estate.

 

Photographs courtesy of English Heritage Photographic Library.