Cardinham Castle, Cardinham, Cornwall: Analytical Earthwork Survey

Analytical earthwork survey of Cardinham castle and its immediate surroundings was undertaken using a combination of Trimble R8 differential GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) and Trimble S7 Total Station Theodolite (TST) equipment and completed in the field using graphical survey methods. The fieldwork produced an Historic England Level 3 survey at 1:500 scale. A digital hachure plan of the site was created using AutoCAD software and completed for publication using Adobe Illustrator software. The area was also recorded using drone-based Structure from Motion (SfM) photogrammetry. The castle and its immediate environs were flown using a quadcopter and a digital surface model produced at 20cm resolution using Agisoft software. The castle comprises a sub-circular enclosure classed as a ringwork with a bailey to its south and was probably abandoned as a residence around 1270 when the Cardinham estate was broken up. The castle remains are entirely formed by earthworks though the outline of masonry buildings and an encircling wall are evident within the ringwork. Earlier accounts generally dismiss the earthworks occupying the ringwork as the result of quarrying and stone robbing but the survey has demonstrated that they are the remains of five buildings and a probable gatehouse. The more detailed understanding of the layout and form of the ringwork and bailey that has emerged from the survey enables informed comparisons to be made between Cardinham and other castles in Cornwall.