Signs of contemporary Pagan religion are very evident to-day at an ancient hill fort which hides sombre secrets. Castle an Dinas, near St Columb Major, consists of three concentric ring ramparts and boasts panoramic views of the surrounding moorland.
The Iron Age landmark might now be the ideal spot for a spectacular walk or even a picnic, but its past includes multiple murders. Castle an Dinas is said to have been left haunted by the death of a man who "barbarously" murdered two teenagers and was himself left to starve to death.
It is also the scene of a violent murder - a young cyclist was found dead and mutilated in one of the three ditches of the hill fort. Jessie Rickard, of Trenoweth, was only 17 when her body was found after she had been shot in six places on her body.
The tragedy began on the evening of Saturday, June 11, 1904, when Jessie left her family home in spite of her parents’ plea to “stay home with us”. The teenager said she would cycle to the neighbouring village of St Mawgan to meet with her friend and music teacher, Laura Berryman. In reality, however, she had organised a romantic rendezvous with her lover Charles, who was Laura Berryman’s brother and was on leave from the Royal Navy for a few days.
But Jessie failed to return home that night and, the next morning, two young men discovered her mutilated body. Jessie had been shot with a revolver multiple times - once in the left arm, once in the in the left cheek, twice by the left eye, once in the neck and once behind the left ear.
Immediately, suspicion fell on Charles, who had also vanished. A manhunt was organised and it lasted for the next four days. A public appeal was issued,
It read: "Wanted for the wilful murder of Miss Jessie Rickard at Castle-an-Dinas, St. Columb, on the 11th inst, Charles Berryman of St. Mawgan, carpenter, aged 20 years; height 5 feet 3 or 4 inches; medium build, light brown hair, full face, fait complexion, blue eyes.
Shortly after in a local pond a body was found, He had committed suicide by shooting himself in the head with the same revolver with which he had killed Jessie.
But the tragic past of Castle an Dinas doesn't end there. It was 240 years earlier when murderer John Trehenban, of St Columb Major, was left there to starve after killing of two 17 year old girls, Anne Pollard and Loveday Rosevear on June 22, 1671. According to the parish register,
It read: "Anne daughter of John Pollard of this Parish and Loveday Rosevear (aged 17), daughter of Thomas Rosevear of St Enoder were barbarously murdered on the day before in the home of Captain Peter Pollard at Bridge in St Columb by one John Trehenban the son of Humphrey and Cissily Trehenban of this Parish at about 11 O' clock in the forenoon upon a market day."
A search for the murderer was launched and John Trehenban, who pretended to help, followed bloodhounds on his horse. He eventually had to confess when his hat blew off, the dogs picked up its scent and wouldn't leave it.
Trehenban was put in a cage and left on a large rock at Castle an Dinas. He was left there to die, without food or water.
A legend says that if you run around the rock fifty times, you can hear his chains rattle. Castle an Dinas is also said to be haunted by a ghost army.
The paranormal sighting was first recorded by local historian Samuel Drew, who wrote that the army was seen in the sky above the landmark in the 18th century. It was later, in the 19th century, said that a man from nearby Quoit saw the ghosts of King Arthur's soldiers there.
The site is indeed linked to the Arthurian legends. It is said that it is the place where in the the 6th century Cador, Duke of Cornwall and husband of King Arthur’s mother, met his death.