EOYAL INSTITUTION OF CORN'^ALL, 291 



curious circular pit, which however does not appear to have 

 been connected with the castle. 



The ditch has been excavated with care, and to the west 

 of the entrance, has in places been cut through the solid rock. 

 The entrance road is carried over the ditch by a mound, and the 

 vallum is cut down to the original level, it is here about 15 feet 

 wide. 



The space enclosed within the entrenchment is about three 

 acres, sloping gradually from the ditch, towards the cliffs. No 

 water, or trace of habitation, is to be found within ; there is, 

 however, a marshy spot in the ditch on the eastern side, where 

 some water might be obtained in very wet weather ; but even 

 this is doubtful, and its position outside the wall would render 

 it inconvenient, if not useless to the defenders. A flint core in 

 situ below 3 feet of soil, was found within the enclosed area; 

 but flakes and shattered flints are abundantly scattered 

 over the whole of these northern headlands ; a large number 

 having been found on Penhale and Ligger Points, as well as 

 Pentire ; but the men who cut trenches through solid rock, had 

 better tools than a shattered nodule of flint, to accomplish such 

 work. 



There is no landing place within the castle area, the only spot 

 being a little cove shut in by perpendicular walls of rock, into 

 which the sea boils and foams in all but the calmest weather ; 

 to the east of Kelsey head lies the sandy cove of Port Joke, 

 where boats might possibly land in fair weather, but this would 

 be far beyond the boundary of the castle, and useless to its 

 defenders. 



From the entrenchment southwards the headland gradually 

 rises in a long flat slope, and about a quarter of a mile distant, 

 on the summit, are the remains of a large barrow, and close to 

 it on the north, a very low moimd, with ditch on the soiith side, 

 runs across the headland from cliff to cliff. This might have 

 been an outwork, but it is so faintly to be traced that all with 

 respect to it must be conjecture. 



It is a note-worthy fact, that every headland from Perran 

 to Kelsey Head bears a cliff castle on its extreme point, and 

 although a short description of Kelsey Head Castle has been 

 published by Mr. Pattison in the reports of this society, the 



