THE FOGOTT AT HALLIGEY, TEEIO-WARREN. 259 



AN ACCOUNT OF EEM ARK ABLE SUBTEREANEAN CHAMBERS AT 



TRELOWARREN, THE SEAT OF *Sib R. R. VYVYAN, Baet., 



IN THE COUNTY OF CORNWALL. 



Bt J. T. BLIGHT. 



From the Archwologia, Vol. XL. 



On the beautiful domain of Trelowarren there are, in good 

 preservation, very remarkable subterranean chambers, which 

 appear to have been unknown to Dr. Borlase, the county anti- 

 quary, and are mentioned by one onlyf of the Cornish historians, 

 Polwhele. 



Polwhele's description, however, being unaccompanied by 

 plans or accurate measurements, is of little use to the archteolo- 

 gist, and no more may be gathered from his remarks than that 

 those galleries were not in his day, about fifty years ago, so easily 

 to be investigated as at the present time. 



Whilst submitting a description of these curious and inter- 

 esting structures, I shall not presume to offer any definite opinion 

 as to their age, or the purpose for which they were constructed, 

 but hope, by plans, sections, and views, to convey some idea of 

 the peculiarity of their formation, so that they may be compared 

 with the subterranean chambers or galleries found in other parts 

 of the kingdom, and in those countries peopled by Celtic tribes. 



The spot on which they are situated is named Halligey, 

 about five or six minutes' walk from Trelowarren House, and 

 occupies the crest of a sweeping undulation of the country, for 

 it can scarcely be called a hill, neither is it a very commanding 

 site. 



There is, at first sight, nothing particular to attract attention 

 to these chambers ; but it will be observed that the soil rises over 

 them as if banked up, but not sufficiently high or definite in 

 form to be termed a barrow — indeed it might be taken for no 

 more than a natural formation of the ground, now intersected by 

 one or more hedges. 



* This description appears in the heading of Mr. Blight's Paper on the 

 Halligey Cave, in 1861. Sir R. R. Vyvyan, having deceased, has been succeeded 

 by the Rev. Sir Vyell Vyvyan. 



t Noticed also by Lysons, Mag : Brit : III, p. CCXX ; and more recently by 

 Polsue, Lake's Hist : vol. 3, p. 281.— W.I. 



