Halliggye Fogou facts for kids
Main chamber of the fogou
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 Location in Southwest Cornwall
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| Location | Mawgan-in-Meneage |
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| Coordinates | 50°04′15″N 5°11′46″W / 50.07089°N 5.19615°W |
| Type | Fogou |
| History | |
| Periods | Iron Age |
| Cultures | Cornish |
| Site notes | |
| Ownership | English Heritage |
| Public access | Yes |
Halliggye Fogou is a very old and mysterious underground passage in Cornwall, England. It's like a secret tunnel system built a long, long time ago by people living in the Iron Age. This amazing place is looked after by English Heritage and is part of the beautiful Trelowarren Estate. You can visit the fogou for free!
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Discovering Halliggye Fogou
Halliggye Fogou is one of many "fogous" found in Cornwall. A fogou (pronounced "foo-goo") is an ancient underground structure. No one is completely sure what they were used for. Some people think they were places to store food, while others believe they were secret hiding spots or even religious sites.
Exploring the Tunnels
The Halliggye Fogou is the largest and best-preserved fogou in Cornwall. It has a long, narrow tunnel that leads to three separate rooms or chambers. The walls and roof are made of stone, showing how clever the Iron Age builders were.
Long ago, in Victorian times, some people dug a window-like entrance into the fogou. They were probably looking for treasure, but this opening has since been filled in. Today, visitors enter through a special stairway that was created after a plough accidentally broke through the roof.
Clues from the Past
People have been curious about Halliggye Fogou for a long time. In 1861, a man named J. T. Blight worked with Sir Richard Vyvyan, who owned the land. They described the fogou and found some interesting items. These included a vase with ashes, a simple cup, and even some animal bones, possibly from a deer.
Later, in the 1980s, English Heritage carried out more digs. They mainly cleared out dirt and fixed parts of the passage. During these excavations, they found pieces of pottery. Some were local Iron Age pots, and others were Roman pottery from far away, showing that people traded goods even back then.
A Secret Wartime Role
The Halliggye Fogou has a surprising modern history too. During the Second World War, it was used by a local group called the Manaccan Auxiliary Unit. This unit was a secret group of volunteers ready to fight if the country was invaded. They used the fogou as a hidden place to store explosives and ammunition.
