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Lanyon Quoit

Well I painted the spare room and my wife unexpectedly declared she did not mind if I wanted to fit in another field trip, so in a state of shock out came the books, maps, gps coordinates and of course the internet (I really enjoy the planning phase before a trip) and I decided I would like to see Lanyon Quoit as it looked like my Golden Retriever poised waiting for the command to fetch. Van loaded, waves from the kitchen window, dog barking I left Lincolnshire for the run South to St Just where I would hole up for a few days. I had just passed Bristol when the phone went, 'I don't like the colour want to change it to Tunsgate Green, no worries you can do it when you get back' grrr! My first visit was to the complex which includes the Merry Maidens, Tregiffian Burial Chamber, Gun Rith and Pipers 1 & 2. I spent ages trying to figure out any kind of alignment of the stones and eventually moved on to the unexpected highlight of my trip Boscawen - un. a short walk over the brow of the hill and there it is below you looking like a giant sundial enclosed by a stone wall and hedge. I assume the central standing stone was originally straight or is it aligned to a date in the calendar? This was a wonderful place and if it wasn't so damp and muddy I could have spent much longer there. I had read about people experiencing a rebirth down in the Fogou's, reckoned that would be good for me and so headed of to Carn Euny village to search for the mysterious glowing algae and to be reborn. Although blustery and raining I decided to park up at Carn Brea and walk across the moors to the village, this took me past the Holy Well, the adjacent trees suitably covered in multi coloured plastic and cloth ribbons and then I descended down into the Fogou. The mysterious algae was in fact everywhere and not difficult to find and I thrust my way back into daylight arms outstretched - Reborn - Sadly no, I was still old and now also covered in mud. Next day I just had to see the Quoit and it did not disappoint, waterlogged and alone it seemed to pointing somewhere into the distance. Up the road and a good walk up to Men an tol. With no one around I was able to try getting various parts of my body through the holed stone. Remembering the fertility rites associated with this place I decided to leave fearing I might have gotten myself pregnant and set off for the Nine Maidens stone circle further up the moor. I had read it was just up the path, well I can assure you in late autumn it was no stroll. The path was flooded and eventually ran out and I struggled up through the water filled ruts in the heather passing a lesser circle and broken cairn until eventually reaching the circle. It was raining, the site was waterlogged and a more desolate spot on earth I don't think I have come across. The circle was brooding and menacing and I wanted to get away from it. Setting of down the hill through the heather I couldn't stop myself panicking slightly and tripping over from rut to rut and was pleased to make the good path back at Men an tol. I climbed in the van, made a pot of coffee and gave myself a good talking to. Anyway I soon cheered up and walked along the cliff tops to find Ballowall Barrow. Overnight a tremendous storm blew up and my planned walks to Chun, Zennor and Milfra Quiots looked in danger. I set of aiming for Chun, however, the whole moor was now fast moving streams and pools, I got close enough for a photo with the zoom lens but that was it, my wellies had flooded I was wet and beaten. I decided to head East to easier targets and visited the newly erected Quoit at Carwynnen. Nice little visitors area however it is difficult to reassemble ambience and atmosphere so I moved on to see the mighty Trevethy Quiot, very different to the others more like a box with a huge capstone. Whats the hole in the roof all about, original or new? Whilst in the area I visited the Duloe stone circle which was really worth the detour, every single stone in the small circle is of great interest and spent a surprisingly long time there. Next I moved on to the Hurlers multiple stone circle. Looks like a tourist spot in summer, however, deserted today. The rain did not allow me to do the site justice and the whole area deserves a further visit just to this one spot. And so that was it early next morning I set of back for Lincolnshire doing one last detour to Stanton Drew, Wow! Its just there, no fanfare, no gravel pathway, no visitor centre, no mown grass, just this major prehistoric site with huge stones and multiple circles, just an honesty box to let you know its there. This is a full afternoons vist and by the time I found the cove in the pub garden I realised I would be late home. Picking up a couple of tins of Tunsgate Green at Homme e basse on the way back I dropped them on the chest of drawers in the bedroom, my wife looked up with one eye open and asked where is the Cornish fudge and clotted cream, I decided this was not the time to tell her I might be pregnant.

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Posted by costaexpress
20th November 2015ce
Edited 21st November 2015ce


Comments (4)

So pleased that you found Nine Maidens brooding and menacing and wanted to get away from it as soon as possible. I think we should encourage this view to be spread far and wide thus leaving it unvisited and people-free whenever I go back there :)

Joking aside, a great canter through one of my favourite landscapes, enjoyed reading that very much. Now stop messing about on the internet and get painting.
thesweetcheat Posted by thesweetcheat
20th November 2015ce
Oh that's splendid. It feels like such a time ago that I visited these great places, though the weather was obviously better when we were there. Haven't done any adventuring for a while & need to give myself a good shake up. I get a bit hibernaty in the Winter months; moping around inside watching crap on the telly. It has to stop, time is short. Wellies & windcheaters out :) Posted by carol27
21st November 2015ce
Good to see someone else a bit like me, just going, getting out there no matter the weather, no ice creams, no one demanding to go somewhere other than stones, just meandering from site to site, perfect.
I don't think Men an Tol is known for fertility, it is said to cure rickets though, it certainly doesn't make wishes come true nor does it lead to fairy kingdoms despite previous fieldnotes.
postman Posted by postman
22nd November 2015ce
Thank you, great blog post, you transported me to some of my favorite places. Sounds like a really good trip and it's inspired me to get back out and explore this year some more. texlahoma Posted by texlahoma
13th January 2016ce
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