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Chûn Castle
Iron Age hillfort in Cornwall, England / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
50.1487°N 5.6337°W / 50.1487; -5.6337
Quick Facts Type, History ...
![]() Entrance to Chûn Castle | |
Type | hill fort |
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History | |
Periods | Iron Age |
Site notes | |
Excavation dates | 1895, 1925, 1927 and 1930 |
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Chûn Castle is a large Iron Age hillfort (ringfort) near Penzance in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom.[1] The fort was built about 2,500 years ago, and fell into disuse until the early centuries AD when it was possibly re-occupied to protect the nearby tin mines. It stands beside a prehistoric trackway that was formerly known as the Old St Ives Road and the Tinners’ Way. The name Chûn derives from Cornish: Chi an Woon[2] (‘the house on the downs’[3]). The area is now sometimes known as Chûn Downs.[3] Nearby is Chûn Quoit.