Carn Euny Ancient Village

About

Carn Euny is one of the best-preserved ancient villages in south-west England, inhabited from the Iron Age until about AD 400. Timber round houses gave way to stone ones, and between the 2nd and 4th centuries AD to larger courtyard houses whose walls still stand up to a metre high. The villagers farmed some 40 acres, growing oats, barley and rye, and may have traded in local tin. At the heart of the site is its fogou, a stone-walled underground passage of a type found only in the far west of Cornwall, discovered by tin prospectors in the 1840s. Reviewers single out walking through the fogou and the helpful information boards, and many warn about the very narrow approach lanes. The small car park is about 600 metres away, and the track crosses grazed farmland with stiles that can be extremely muddy. Dogs on leads are welcome, but watch for a partly hidden drop into the fogou passage.

Historic SiteDog friendlyParkingDogs on leads

Open in daylightFrom English Heritage's calendar

Open any reasonable time in daylight

From English Heritage's published calendar, updated 1 October 2026, with dates up to 16 March 2027.

Opening times may change at short notice.

Open any reasonable time during daylight hours.

Managed by the Cornwall Heritage Trust for English Heritage; school and group visits are arranged through the Trust.

Accessibility: The track crosses farmland where cattle graze and can be extremely muddy, with at least two stiles; the alternative byway route enters by a stone stile. A partially hidden sheer drop leads into the fogou passage, and the site is remote and exposed with no shelter.

Parking: Small car park about 600 metres away in Brane, down narrow lanes. Pubs, cafes and other facilities are in surrounding villages and Penzance, about 6 miles away.

Photo: Humphrey Bolton. CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/). Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Remains_of_Iron_Age_house,_Carn_Euny_-_geograph.org.uk_-_3197262.jpg. Resized for display.

Dogs at the location: Allowed with restrictions. Dogs on leads are welcome; cattle graze the farmland on the approach track.

Dog walks in the grounds: Allowed with restrictions. Dogs on leads are welcome; cattle graze the farmland on the approach track. Free open-access site; no ticket or membership needed.

Leads: On leads; cattle on the approach track.

PricingFreeFree for all visitors

Free entry for everyone

Entry

Free for everyone

Pricing details

Free to everyone; open access site. English Heritage membership is not needed.

ParkingParking not known

The Trust's page does not say how parking is charged.

Parking details

Small car park about 600 metres away in Brane; access is down narrow lanes unsuitable for large coaches. English Heritage does not say whether it charges.

Driving arrival: Carn Euny Ancient Village Parking (Google listing) at the end of the public road; walk over farmland with at least two stiles, or use the byway to the north-west of the car park and a stone stile.