Restoration of the Boden Fogou Lintel
Excavation of the fogou in 2003 and again in 2016 revealed a long flat sided stone lying on its base at the bend of the main passage. The stone was a large piece of ‘gabbro’, which must have been transported to Boden from Crousa Downs around 2 miles away to the south, the closest source of this igneous rock*.
It was clear that the stone was different to the more local stones of the fogou, and was long enough to have spanned the passage, thus forming a roof lintel. The fogou walling to the north of the stone had collapsed and it was likely that the lintel had fallen into the passage as a result – perhaps this happened when all the other roof lintels were being removed from the roof of the fogou. This one must have been too difficult to lift out and laid on the floor of the fogou for centuries until found by the archaeologists at MAG. It’s believed that other long pieces of gabbro rock in use as local gate posts may have ‘liberated’ from the fogou, perhaps in the medieval period.
In order to show off the fogou to its greatest potential it was decided to lift the lintel and replace it across the passage as it originally had been. As the walling had collapsed from its original position it seemed most sensible to restore the fogou ‘portal’, where the passage first narrows, by installing the lintel over the large uprights at this point. This took quite a bit of planning – it was estimated that the stone would weigh in excess of 1 ton, and so a large enough machine was required – luckily Chris had his digger on hand, which he assured me would up to the job!
After carefully preparing the area above the passage, the lintel was carefully strapped-up ready for lifting. With Chris on the machine, Peter and David pulling on ropes to manage the swing and James directing the positioning, the stone was carefully hoisted from the floor of the fogou and gently lowered into position over the fogou portal. The lintel fitted like a dream and already looks as though it has always been there!
The lintel has given a new lease of life to the fogou, enhancing the entrance into the main passage and giving it a truly ‘monumental’ feel.
Many thanks to Chris, Peter, David and all the MAG team for making all this possible, and a special thanks as always to Chris and family for allowing MAG to continue their amazing work on their land.
*Gabbroic clay, found in the same area as the lintel stone, was used to make the majority of pottery in Cornwall from the Neolithic to the early Medieval periods, a period of over 4000 years.
Saturday 14th September, MAG will be holding an open day at Boden, 11am-4pm.
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