Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Historic Environment Record

27/05/2026

Did you watch the new series of Who Do You Think You Are on BBC One last night? If so, you may have spotted a familiar building! 🤩

Yes – broadcaster and presenter Zoe Ball came down to Cornwall and visited Kresen Kernow to discover more about her ancestors from Camborne.

You can catch up on the episode on BBC iPlayer right now!

The show is made by , with Linkline Sound Recordist Martin Evanson and Camera Operator Robin Kay who were part of the amazing crew on this series. Explore Your Archive

26/05/2026

21/05/2026

The Strategic Historic Environment team were really pleased to have gotten to work with students from Truro and Penwith College as part of their work experience.

The students presented ideas on how young people could become more engaged with the subject of Cornish Distinctiveness.

They did an amazing job, and you can see their work here: https://letstalk.cornwall.gov.uk/cornish-distinctiveness/news_feed/truro-college-student-input-project

A huge well done to them all from all of us!

19/05/2026

We're Recruiting: Historic Sites Manager

This is an exciting opportunity to help care for and shape the future of some of Cornwall’s most important historic places.

From hillforts and standing stones to engine houses and ancient landscapes, Cornwall Heritage Trust now cares for 20 historic sites across Cornwall. We are also about to take on the ownership of a Georgian Country House and have plans to acquire two further historic sites this year.

We’re looking for a strategic and passionate Historic Sites Manager to lead the care, protection and development of these extraordinary places, balancing archaeology, ecology, public access and community engagement.

Based at Krowji, Redruth, with regular visits to sites across Cornwall
Full time: 35 hours per week
Fixed term contract: 2 years
Salary: £36,621

You’ll lead our growing sites team, oversee conservation and management plans, develop partnerships and projects, and help ensure Cornwall’s heritage remains accessible and protected for generations to come.

If you’re passionate about heritage, landscapes, conservation and connecting communities with historic places, we’d love to hear from you.

Deadline for applications: Midday, Monday 15th June 2026
Interviews: Thursday 25th June 2026

For full details and to download the application form and job description, visit: https://buff.ly/Q8mdNlA

19/05/2026

It’s Manorial Monday! Today, we're looking at common land, which often made-up part of a manor and is recorded on manor maps.

Historically, the lord of the manor was the owner of common land, and much of the common land that survives today was known as common or manorial waste. Generally described as open, uncultivated or unimproved lands in a manor, it often included areas of less productive farmland.

It is a popular misconception that common land is owned by the general public, to which everyone has an unrestricted right of access. All common land is private property, whether owned by an individual or a corporation. Today many commons are owned by local authorities, the National Trust and other bodies for the public benefit, but not all commons offer total access to all comers.

Common land is subject to rights and those entitled to exercise these rights are called commoners. Historical rights included rights of pasture, the right to graze livestock; of estovers, the right to cut and take wood (not timber); of turbary, the right to dig turf or peat for fuel; in the soil, the right to take sand, gravel, stone, coal and other minerals; and of piscary, the right to take fish from ponds and streams.

Today, these rights include access to light, air and recreation. The map image shows Boskednan Common, part of the manor of Trezella Mulfra in Gulval and Madron, surveyed in 1787-1831, and the property of James Wentworth Buller. It includes the Nine Maidens stone circle situated to the south-east of Carn Galver.

11/05/2026

It’s Manorial Monday! 🥳🗺️ As our cleaning and digitisation of the manor maps continues, we keep uncovering the beautiful artistic flare of the cartographers who made them, especially through the cartouches and decorations they added to the maps. 🖌️

Cartouches are first thought to have appeared on Italian maps in the 16th century, used to frame map titles, whilst adding symbolic or artistic additions, some with hidden meanings. They continued to be present on maps until the late 19th century, some just ornate decoration, or like the one in this image, depicting a view or snapshot of the landscape surveyed.

What we find interesting about this map, is that we currently don’t know who the surveyor was, so can’t put a name to this watercolour sketch. However, we do know the Fortescue family employed James Blackmore to survey and create other maps for them at the same time...maybe it was him?

We plan to have an online exhibition later this year to showcase some of these amazing cartouches, and a pop-up exhibition of a small selection of our favourite manor maps chosen by our mapping volunteers. Look out for dates later this year...

10/05/2026

Discover the different styles of hedging across Cornwall in one location, at the newly completed Kerdroya labyrinth, Colliford Lake. Built in celebration of the Diamond anniversary of the Cornwall National Landscape (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), it has sections of Cornish hedge built in the stone and style of the 12 sections of Cornwall's National Landscape designation - from Penwith, the Lizard, and St Agnes to Bodmin Moor, Morwenstow and Rame head.
It is the perfect place to see the differences local stone makes to the facing of a Cornish Hedge and the skill required to build these structures.
The labyrinth was designed by Golden Tree and built over a number of years by professional hedgers, volunteers and school children, with a piece of locally crafted artwork at the centre by Thrussells.

09/05/2026

Cornish hedges have the capacity to hold an abundance of wild flowers, the sea thrift on this hedge at West Pentire reflecting its coastal location. As such they are important habitats for pollinators. South facing exposed stone hedges are also perfect winter hibernacula and summer nests for reptiles such as slow worms, lizards and snakes. Bats use hedges as sight lines, aiding their navigation, and hedgehogs thrive in bramble covered margins and remnant hedge ditches.

08/05/2026

Some great news!

A huge night for us, our The Buttermarket Redruth project and Architectural Thread at the RIBA South West & Wessex Awards!

We’re so proud that the Buttermarket project received a RIBA South West & Wessex Award, recognising the transformation of this historic site into a vibrant community food hall and cultural space in the heart of Redruth.

Massive congratulations to Claire Fear, who also took home Project Architect of the Year for her and the brilliant team's thoughtful, creative work on the project. It’s been an amazing collaboration from day one, and this recognition is so deserved.

We were also incredibly honoured that Redruth Revival CIC was recognised as Client of the Year.

A real celebration of heritage, community, creativity and collaboration - and a proud moment for Redruth.

08/05/2026

Some of the oldest trees in Cornwall can be found on Cornish Hedges, such as this tenacious thorn on Bodmin Moor. Trees were an important resource, being used for fuel, materials, animal fodder and for additional shelter, so trees were often deliberately planted for these purposes. By using the hedge, more valuable farm land was kept for crops. A number of traditions survive through folklore, for example it was considered unlucky to cut down a holly tree and that they were used as sight lines for ploughing.