Castle Dore, Iron Age hillfort in Tywardreath, England
Castle Dore is a hillfort with oval-shaped enclosures set on a prominent ridge in Tywardreath. The site features layered defensive works, with inner ramparts protecting a core area and outer fortifications adding additional barriers for protection.
This fortification began as an Iron Age settlement when people chose the elevated location for protection and control. Centuries later, during the 1600s conflict in England, Parliamentary forces reused the earthworks as a defensive position.
The site's name reflects its ancient roots, and the earthworks show how people organized their settlement for both living and defense. You can walk the ridgeline and sense the strategic position that made this location valuable across different periods.
The site is accessible via public footpaths, but the ground is uneven with slopes and ridges. Good walking shoes are important, and visitors should be ready for changing weather since the elevated position offers little shelter.
Excavations in the 1930s uncovered traces of roughly 20 roundhouses, showing that people rebuilt and changed the settlement repeatedly over time. These multiple construction phases suggest the location was abandoned and reoccupied across different generations.
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