
What is recorded here
Crane Castle is a cliff castle on the Cornish coast where artificial ditches and natural precipices joined to form an early medieval refuge. The earthworks cut into the cliff edge, creating a defensible position that overlooked the sea and exposed anyone who approached from the land. It remains a scheduled monument because that much of its purpose is still written in the shape of the ground.
Cliff castles are coastal promontories adapted as enclosures and fortified on the landward side by the construction of one or more ramparts accompanied by ditches. On the seaward side the precipitous cliffs of the promontory provided a natural defence, on
Crane Castle was built during the 12th or 13th century by a local lord, likely for coastal defense and control of the surrounding area. It is remembered as an example of a cliff castle, a rare and strategically significant type of medieval fortification in Britain.
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Places near here
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Tehidy HouseListed building · 1482 yd
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Cave on Portreath BeachCave or cavern · 1.3 mi
Gull RockIslet · 1.4 miOther information
Photo: Pete Cruse · CC BY-SA 2.0