Home > Attractions > Cornwall > Ballowall Barrow

Ballowall Barrow

Travel Information and nearby accommodation

A prehistoric burial site in a marvellous clifftop location, Ballowall was used throughout the Neolithic and Middle Bronze Age. The cairn, which is 67 feet in diamter, was concealed for many years beneath the spoilage of tin mining, but when finally excavated in 1878 revealed that the site was based around a round chambered cairn, entered by a covered galllery about 11 feet long.

Fragments of cremated bones and Bronze Age pottery was found beneath the passage floor. An unrelated burial cist is close to the entry gallery. At the centre of the cairn are four small ground-level cists, and a Bronze Age urn was found in one of the cists. A cist high in the mound contained a Roman coin, suggesting that the site was reused during the Roman period.

Finds ecavatated from Ballowall Barrow are kept in the museums at Truro and Cambridge, and the British Museum in London.

Ballowall is just one of numerous prehistoric burial sites along the West Penwith coast. Like many others in this area it is composed of a high central mound surrounded by a wide outer mound. The inner mound, which originally rose to 4.5 metres high, was supported by two concentric drystone walls.

The site was first excavated by William Borlase (1848-1899), who was responsible for excavating a number of prehistoric Cornish sites. Archaeology must have run in Borlase's genes, for he was a descendant of the 18th century antiquarian William Borlase.
St Just, Cornwall, England

About Ballowall Barrow
Attraction Type: Prehistoric
Location: At Ballowall Common, on a minor road 1 mile to the west of St Just. Open access site
Website: Ballowall Barrow
English Heritage
Location map
OS SW354313
Heritage Rating:   ?

Nearest attractions Nearest Towns and Villages Nearest accommodation Nearest Tourist Information Centre

OS map Related Information

Nearest Attractions Levant Mine - 2 miles (Historic Property) Carn Euny Ancient Village - 3.3 miles (Prehistoric) Lanyon Quoit - 4.9 miles (Prehistoric) Men an Tol - 5 miles (Prehistoric) Trengwainton Garden - 5.9 miles (Garden) Merry Maidens - 6.5 miles (Prehistoric) Tregiffian Burial Chamber - 6.6 miles (Prehistoric) Chysauster Ancient Village - 7.7 miles (Prehistoric)

Nearest Towns and Villages Botallack - 1.1 miles away Sennen - 3.1 miles away Morvah - 3.8 miles away Land's End - 3.9 miles away St Buryan - 5.4 miles away Madron - 6.1 miles away Zennor - 7.4 miles away Penzance - 7.4 miles away

Nearest Accommodation to Ballowall Barrow

Nearest Self Catering Cottages

Lower Cot Mill - 0.8 miles from Ballowall Barrow St Just, Cornwall Sleeps: 8 Stay from: £395

Maple Barn - 1.2 miles from Ballowall Barrow Penzance, Cornwall Sleeps: 6 Stay from: £595

Bonython Cottage - 1.4 miles from Ballowall Barrow Nanquidno, Cornwall Sleeps: 5 Stay from: £235

More Self Catering near Ballowall Barrow

Nearest Hotels

Cape Cornwall Golf & Country Club - 0.3 miles from Ballowall Barrow St Just, Cornwall Stay from: £60.00

Boswedden House - 0.5 miles from Ballowall Barrow Penzance, Cornwall Stay from: £111.00

Boscean Country Hotel - 0.7 miles from Ballowall Barrow Penzance, Cornwall Stay from: £70.00

More Hotels near Ballowall Barrow

Nearest Bed and Breakfasts

Boswedden House - 0.5 miles from Ballowall Barrow Penzance, Cornwall From: £111.00

Higher Faugan - 6.5 miles from Ballowall Barrow Penzance, Cornwall From: £49.00

Higher Faugan Parc - 6.5 miles from Ballowall Barrow Newlyn, Cornwall From: £49.00

More bed and breakfasts near Ballowall Barrow

St Just
Tourist Information Centre
The Library
Market Street
St Just
Penzance
Cornwall
England
TR19 7HX
Tel: 01736 788669
Fax: 01736 788586
Email: stjust.library@cornwall.gov.uk
Web: http://www.go-cornwall.com/
Map