Perran Springs Holiday Park, Goonhavern, Perranzabuloe, Cornwall - Heritage Assessment and Geophysical Survey

This report presents the results of a heritage assessment and a geophysical survey that were carried out by South West Archaeology Ltd. (SWARCH) for a residential development at Perran Springs Holiday Park, Goonhavern, Perranzabuloe, Cornwall. The geophysical survey identified five groups of anomalies. The identified groups of anomalies include: possible removed field boundaries or drains (Group 1); Modern disturbance (Group 2, Group 3, and Group 4); and possible agricultural activity (Group 5). Any development of the site is likely to encounter and subsequently destroy the buried archaeological resource and whilst there is a high potential that is suggested by the surrounding Prehistoric and Post Medieval mining landscape the results of the geophysical survey would suggest that the archaeological potential of the site is low. The identified anomalies are likely to reflect Post Medieval or Modern disturbance. In terms of indirect impacts, most of the designated heritage assets within the wider area are located at a distance whereby the impact of the proposed development on the assets would be minimised, or where the contribution of the setting to the overall significance of the assets is less important than other factors. The landscape context of many of the assets is such that they would be partially or wholly insulated from the effects of the proposed development by a combination of local blocking from trees, buildings, or embankments, or from Modern intrusions that have already impinged upon their setting. The only sites where there is the potential for an appreciable impact are the undesignated Wheal Albert mine and the scheduled bowl barrow to the south of Treworthal Farm, however both are negligible. In the case of the Wheal Albert mine the location of the proposed development means that a slight impact is highly likely. That being said, this impact is restricted by local screening and by the fact that the site would form an extension of the existing holiday park. The site is not clearly visible from the bowl barrow at Treworthal Farm, with the site largely being screened by local topography and by the surrounding woodland, and whilst its location puts it within the wider landscape context of such a monument this landscape has already been altered significantly and if it were visible through the screening then the proposed development would not be discernible from the existing holiday park of which it would form a part. With this in mind, the overall impact of the proposed development can be assessed as neutral to negligible. The impact of the proposed development on any buried archaeological resource would be permanent and irreversible, however the archaeological potential of the site would appear to be low and thus it is unlikely that archaeological mitigation will be required in this instance.