The Gatehouse website record for St Erth

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Carhangives; Carnhangibes; Carnabeggas

In the civil parish of St Erth. In the historic county of Cornwall (Modern Authority of Cornwall, 1974 county of Cornwall).

Spreadbury writes "Vanished castle of Richard FitzTurold." Lewis writes "In the churchyard, and in the village, are the remains of ancient crosses; and near the vicarage-house is a double circular intrenchment, called Carhangives, supposed to have been the site of a baronial castle." Leland writes "And not far from the bridge there was a castle, so it seems, or a manor house now completely demolished, which was called Carnhangibes. Some say that Dinham was lord of this place, and many knights and gentlemen owed suit to his court."
Lewis and Leland are, almost certainly, referring to the round at SW55773477 (PastScape No 424959) recorded as "A spread outer slope 1.0m. high survives on the W. and S. and faint traces are discernible on the S.E. and E. Surveyed at 1/2500. There is no visible evidence that it was ever bivallate as Polwhele suggests and it was accepted as univallate by Thomas in 1851. Its non-defensive situation on a S.W. slope below the hilltop with its shape and size are typical of an I.A. round rather than a hill-fort (Field Investigators Comments–F1 NVQ 06-APR-65)"
Fitz Turold is recorded in Domesday as holding many manors in Cornwall, as a sub-tenant, but I've not associated him with St Erth. There is is no suggestion, other than Spreadbury of him having a castle here. I can not find any association with the Dinham family. The main road used to run through the village across a ford and C14 bridge but there is no suggestion that this was ever anything other than a village. The round does not seem to have had any medieval use and the is no obvious site for the medieval manor house, although PastScape records a couple of chapel sites with a kilometer.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SW55773477

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's English Heritage (PastScape) Defra or Monument number is 424959
Further information may be available from the holder of the county Historic Environment Record. In particular 'grey' literature, such as watching brief reports, held by H.E.R.s is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded in this website, or elsewhere.

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