Clements, M., Payne, A. W. and Linford, N. T. (2023). St Stephen's Beacon, St Stephen-in-Brannel, Cornwall. Fort Cumberland: Historic England. https://doi.org/10.5284/1110884. Cite this using datacite

Title
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Title:		 St Stephen's Beacon, St Stephen-in-Brannel, Cornwall
Series
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Series:		 Historic England Research Reports
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Downloads:
nmr1-517162_212912.pdf (25 MB) : Download
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Licence Type:
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence icon
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
International Licence
DOI
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DOI
https://doi.org/10.5284/1110884
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Publication Type:		 Report (in Series)
Abstract
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Abstract:		 The Earth Resistance survey was focused on the area in the immediate vicinity of the upstanding remains at the summit of the Beacon. Measurements were recorded over six 30m grids established with a Trimble R8s GNSS using a Geoscan RM85 earth resistance meter, internal multiplexer, and a PA5 electrode frame in the Twin-Electrode configuration, to allow two separate surveys with electrode separations of 0.5m and 1.0m to be collected simultaneously. The 0.5m electrode separation coverage was designed to detect near-surface anomalies in the upper 0.5m of the subsurface whilst the 1.0m separation survey allowed anomalies to a depth of about 1-1.25m to be detected. For the 0.5m electrode separation survey readings were taken at a sample density of 0.5m x 1.0m whilst for the 1.0m separation survey they were taken at a density of 1.0m x 1.0m. A 3d-Radar MkIV GeoScope Continuous Wave Step Frequency (CWSF) Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) system was used to conduct the survey collecting data with a multi-element DXG1820 vehicle towed, ground coupled antenna array (Linford et al. 2010; Eide et al. 2018). A roving Trimble R8s Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver was mounted on the GPR antenna array, that together with a second R8s base station was used to provide continuous positional control for the survey collected along the instrument swaths. The GNSS base station receiver was adjusted to the National Grid Transformation OSTN15 using the Trimble VRS Now Network RTK delivery service. This uses the Ordnance Survey’s GNSS correction network (OSNet) and gives a stated accuracy of 0.01-0.015m per point with vertical accuracy being half as precise. Data were acquired at a 0.075m x 0.075m sample interval across a continuous wave step frequency range from 40MHz to 2.99GHz in 4MHz increments using a dwell time of 2ms. A single antenna element was monitored continuously to ensure data quality during acquisition together with automated processing software to produce real time amplitude time slice representations of the data as each successive instrument swath was recorded in the field (Linford 2013). A magnetometer survey was also attempted using two Bartington grad-601 fluxgate magnetometers. However, this was unsuccessful due to equipment malfunction and no usable results were obtained. The earth resistance survey has detected anomalies associated with the main beacon cairn, together with responses to areas of visible clearance bonfires and possible historic clay extraction. Additional anomalies of possible archaeological or geological origin are also evident within the data. The Ground Penetrating Radar survey has responded to near-surface compacted ground due to vehicle tracks, footpaths and animal runs with deeper, mainly low amplitude anomalies associated with the underlying igneous geology. The geophysical surveys have not detected any unequivocal evidence for additional subsurface remains due to Bronze Age or later activity at the site. However, some anomalies to the southwest of the cairn, may tentatively be suggested to have an association with it.
Author
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Author:		 Megan Clements ORCID icon
Andrew W Payne ORCID icon
Neil T Linford ORCID icon
Publisher
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Publisher:		 Historic England
Year of Publication
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Year of Publication:		 2023
Locations
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Locations:
Parish: St. Stephen-in-Brannel
District: Cornwall
County: Cornwall
Country: England
Grid Reference: 195982, 54507 (Easting, Northing)
Subjects / Periods
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Subjects / Periods:
GROUND PENETRATING RADAR SURVEY (Event)
CAIRN (Monument Type England)
MAGNETOMETRY SURVEY (Event)
EARTH RESISTANCE (RESISTIVITY) SURVEY (Event)
EARLY BRONZE AGE CAIRN (Tag)
GEOPHYSICAL SURVEY (Event)
EARLY BRONZE AGE (Historic England Periods)
Identifiers
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OASIS Id: nmr1-517162
Report id: 32/2023
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OASIS (OASIS)
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Created Date
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Created Date:		 18 Jul 2023