During the Romano-British period, between the 2nd and 4th centuries AD, several of the houses built at Carn Euny were of a type known as 'courtyard houses', found only in west Cornwall.
Usually oval in plan, courtyard houses had thick interlinking walls surrounding a large central courtyard. Smaller round and long rooms were located within the thickness of the outer walls. The courtyards were drained by stone-lined gullies, and may have been used for stabling livestock, crop processing and outdoor cooking.
Old field boundaries nearby show that the inhabitants farmed some 40 acres (16.2ha) of land around the village. They grew oats, barley and rye and they kept animals such as sheep or goats and probably cattle. The villagers were likely to have been traders, perhaps dealing in local tin.
After about AD 400, the village appears to have been abandoned for more than a thousand years. Later, the ruins were used as pig-sties and garden plots. In around 1750, a small cottage was built here and was occupied for about 50 years.
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The text and pictures on this page are derived from the 'Heritage Unlocked' series of guidebooks published in 2004. We intend to review, update and enhance the content in the near future as part of the Portico project, whose objective is to provide information on the history, significance, research background and sources for all English Heritage properties.
