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Land's End Peninsula The Merry Maidens © Schlager Man Also known as: West Penwith See individual sites for details News (7) Fieldnotes (1) Folklore (1) Miscellaneous (1) Links (11) 13 discussion topics Start a topic Show  |  Hide Web searches for Land's End Peninsula Flickr Google Google Images Stone Pages Wikipedia

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News

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Penwith Moors cattle and fencing Barbed wire fencing is being erected across West Penwith (around Tregeseal and Nine Maidens/Lanyon areas in particular) with a view to introducing more cattle to areas where prehistoric sites stand. See the following links: http://www.stonepages... continues... Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by thesweetcheat 27th January 2009ce Edited 27th January 2009ce

Protection in West Penwith My latest issue of the Cornwall Archeological Societys newsletter has a nice feature on the work of the Cornish Ancient Sites Protection Network. http://www.cornishancientsites.com/index... continues... Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by Mr Hamhead 3rd February 2007ce

Cornish Barrow was not sold Extracts from the full article at www.thisiscornwall.co... continues... Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by cookieneil 27th September 2003ce Edited 27th September 2003ce

Cornish Barrow To Go For Auction http://observer.guardian.co.uk/cash/story/0,6903,1032434,00.html Budding archaeologists and historians will get a chance to bid for their own slice of ancient history next month, when one of the biggest Bronze Age barrows in Cornwall is put up for auction. Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by BrigantesNation 1st September 2003ce Edited 12th November 2003ce

Latest news on 'Cornish barrow for sale’ Following my enquiry about the 'Cornish barrow for sale', I had a pleasant surprise yesterday. A fax from Nic Potter (the present owner)... continues... Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by pure joy 2nd August 2003ce

More details for prospective burial chamber buyers From Western Morning News http://www.thisisdevon.co.uk/displayNode... continues... Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by Rhiannon 27th June 2003ce

Burial chamber for sale http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/3010974.stm One of the biggest Bronze Age burial chambers in Cornwall has been put on the market for £150,000... continues... Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by Rhiannon 23rd June 2003ce

Fieldnotes

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Visit to Land's End, 03-08/11/01ce. See individual sites for more detailed notes. Determined to combine a much-needed break with a trip to some stones, Abbie and I booked a few nights at Channings Hotel[*1] in St. Ives. We bought Landranger map 203 and hurriedly poured over it on the train on the way down as we didn't have much time to plan before we set off, just time to print off a list of sites within 50km of the hotel's postcode. There was so much to check out and we were without a car so we had to plan quite carefully. The first whole day down there (04/11/01CE), we took in the Coastal Path walk west of St. Ives, with the intention of heading off to Zennor Quoit when we got round far enough. This plan went a bit awry when we got lost on the Coastal Path(!) so we just headed to the right of Rosewall Hill. We ended up clocking in around 10 miles that day, taking in Zennor Quoit but unable to locate Sperris Quoit. Day 2 (05/11/01CE), and we hobbled around St. Ives. My legs ached too much from trekking about. I picked up Journey To The Stones by Ian McNeil Cooke (he was briefly featured in the Modern Antiquarian film, with Julian at Boleigh Fogou) and Myths and Legends of Cornwall by Craig Weatherhill and Paul Devereux (after reading his Places of Power I thought I'd be in safe hands). Journey To The Stones proved absolutely indispensible - it focuses on 9 different walks across the Land's End, taking in everything you'd expect and more, and backing it up brilliantly with loads of information on the fall of the Motherculture, the influence of the sun and moon, christianised sites, ancient trackways, stone crosses etc. etc. etc. Wonderful. Day 3 (06/11/01CE), and we get a mini-cab[*2] to Keigwin near Morvah (about £15 from St. Ives) to start an abridged version of Cooke's Walks 4 & 2, taking in Chun Quoit, Chun Castle, Men-an-Tol, Men Scryfa (didn't get near it - the cows fancied us), Nine Stones of Boskednan, Bosiliack Barrow and Lanyon Quoit. All in all, we walked for around 5 hours, getting picked up by a cab at Morvah at sundown. Day 4 (07/11/01CE). We took the bus from St. Ives to Penzance and changed there to take the Land's End bus, getting off at St. Buryan. On the way we spotted the Drift Stones from the road, and a couple of other stones marked on the OS map simply as 'Standing Stone'. From St Buryan we did a circular walk to take in Boskawen-Un, having to negotiate a stream and an electric fence whilst still (as far as we could tell) following the footpaths marked on the OS map. Returning to St Buryan's, we recharged and for our final stretch we took what looked like an achievable section of Cooke's Walk 8 ... Tregiffian, The Merry Maidens and The Pipers. By the time we'd done those, it was already getting dark and our London legs couldn't hack the walk down to Boleigh Fogou. We cabbed back to Penzance (about £8) and got the bus back to St. Ives. Even though we cheated in places, I was still amazed by the proximity of these sites and consequently how much we managed to see. If we'd have had a few more days (and didn't need any R'n'R) we could have taken in almost every site in the Land's End and done it mostly on foot. It was the first 'field trip' we'd taken, and it took us a while to get used to basic things like the scale of a map - ie what was achievable and what wasn't - but it was inspiring and we'll definitely be doing similar trips in the future. Notes: [1] I would have added our hotel as a facility to this site but there are so many places to stay down there that you're better off just checking out Cornwall Online (http://www.cornwall-online.co.uk) and finding somewhere suitable for where you want to base yourself. [2] Whilst I'm a bit of a cab-addict in London, out-of-season St. Ives is only served by a bus to Penzance, so for car-less people wanting to go elsewhere we had no choice. Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by Holy McGrail 29th November 2001ce Edited 25th November 2002ce

Folklore

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GARRACK ZANS - VILLAGE RITUAL STONES Whilst scouring my lil' collection of Cornish literature for any interesting references to visits, folklore &c, I found the following in William Bottrell's "Traditions and Hearthside Stories of West Cornwall (2nd series)". referencing a tradition of meeting stones, known as Garrack Zans: it doesn't have any proveable prehistory but looks damn likely to be a really late survivor of megalithic tradition, and thus very much of interest; brackets are mine. "Within the memory of many persons now living, there was to be seen, in the town-places of many western villages, an unhewn table like stone called the Garrack Zans. This stone was the usual meeting place of the villagers, and regarded by them as public property. Old residents in Escols (Escalls, near Sennen) have often told me of one which stood near the centre of that hamlet on an open space...(this) they described as nearly round, about three feet high, and nine in diameter, with a level top. A bonfire was made on it and danced around at Mid-summer. When petty offences were committed by unknown persons, those who wished to prove their innocence, and to discover the guilty, were accustomed to light a furse-fire on the Garrick Zans: each person who assisted took a stick of fire from the pile, and those could extinguish the fire in their sticks, by spitting on them, were deemed innocent; if the injured handed a fire-stick to any persons, who failed to do so, they were declared guilty. Most evening young persons, linked hand in hand, danced around the Garrack Zans, and many old folks passed around it nine times daily from some notion that it was lucky and good against withcraft. The stone now known as Table-men was called the Garrack Zans by old people of Sennen. If our traditions may be relied on, there was also in Treen a large one, around which a market was held in days of yore... There was a Garrack Zans in Sowah (Ardensawah near St.Buryan) only a few years since, and one may still be seen in Roskestal, St. Levan. Nothing seems to be known respecting their original use; yet the significant name, and a belief - that it is unlucky to remove them, denote that they were once regarded as sacred objects." Bottrell's work first appeared in 1873, from tales collected by him in the quarter century preceding; thus the Garrack Zans was a central feature up until at least about 1800. Questions arising; 1 - the etymology of the name? (Obviously Careg, Carrick in the first instance - but Zans?) 2 - Is the Table-men still extant in Sennen? I would imagine it to be in Churchtown rather than Cove...and indeed that in Roskestal, a small farmstead? Comments (7)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by chris s 8th December 2007ce Edited 9th December 2007ce

Miscellaneous

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A warning for TMA-ers! From "Churches of West Cornwall with Notes on the Antiquities of the District" - J.T. Blight, from the preface to the second edition (published 1884 after Blight's death): "By Mr. Blight's death Archaeology has lost not only an enthusiastic student, but a hard worker, and it is much to be feared that his too eager devotion to his favourite pursuit amidst his daily toil brought on the illness which had so sad a termination." Don't say we haven't been warned. Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by thesweetcheat 21st January 2009ce

Links

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Cornwall Guide Photos Extensive collection of photos including large section on historic / ancient sites around Cornwall Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by Cornwall 12th April 2009ce Edited 13th April 2009ce

A Cornish Sourcebook Engraving of Chun, Lanyon and Zennor Cromlechs, 1857. Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by Grumbla 10th December 2006ce Edited 10th December 2006ce

A Cornish Sourcebook William Copeland Borlase - Cornish Antiquities Viewed in the Light of Modern Research, 1880 Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by Chris Bond 5th April 2006ce Edited 7th April 2006ce

Prehistory In Penwith A nice comprehensive website covering all aspects of prehistory in Penwith Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by fitzcoraldo 31st March 2006ce Edited 1st April 2006ce

Historical Illustrations of Ancient Cornwall An absolutely wonderful website, packed full of ancient photographs and illustrations of the prehistoric monuments of Cornwall. My current favourite is the 1860's photograph of Lanyon Quoit and a bloke in a stove pipe hat. Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by fitzcoraldo 31st March 2006ce

Into Cornwall Cornwall information resource with features including archaeological sites, towns and villages, interactive maps, places to stay and much much more. Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by Jane 3 8th March 2006ce

A page of Cornish links Links to Cornish Stones Circles / Menhirs / Hillforts / and Earth mysteries etc. Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by phil 1st April 2002ce

The Holy Wells of West Penwith, Cornwall Site by Laurence Hunt. West Penwith is justly famous for its prehistoric stone circles, quoits and standing stones. The area also has a large number of holy wells. Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by phil 18th December 2001ce

Meyn Mamvro - Stones of our Motherland MEYN MAMVRO is the magazine of ancient stones and sacred sites in Cornwall. It has been published regularly 3 times a year since 1986, and, taken together, all the editions contain a wealth of original material about the prehistory and ancient customs of Cornwall. EARTH ENERGIES * ANCIENT STONES * SACRED SITES * PAGANISM * LEYPATHS CORNISH PRE-HISTORY & CULTURE * MEGALITHIC MYSTERIES * LEGENDS & FOLKLORE Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by phil 3rd December 2001ce

Journey To The Stones Information on Ian McNeil Cooke's essential guidebook for those attempting to "do" Land's End on foot: 8 practical walks and loads of in-depth but easily accessible information on stone crosses, the fall of Motherculture, the influence of the sun and the moon, and so on. This page is located on Cooke's Men-an-Tol Studio website, which has information and ordering details for the above and his other publications, and there's lots more obscure and compelling information hidden away in them there pages... Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by Holy McGrail 13th November 2001ce

Cornwall Online Loads of info on places to stay in Cornwall. Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by Holy McGrail 13th November 2001ce

Mayon Cliff Barrows (Round Barrow(s)) — Fieldnotes

The last two barrows of the day bear no resemblance to each other. The well-known Mayon Cliff cairn, which the coast path passes right next to, is rather lovely. It has a retaining kerb of rounded boulders and the remains of a central cist. A huge longstone lies across the mound, presumably dismounted from a position covering the central burial. Lands End (and its tacky tourist park) is visible, as are the Longships with their lighthouse. By contrast, the round barrow to the NE (assuming I did find it) is simply a low mound, covered in heather and almost imperceptible unless you're really looking for it. It has no visible stonework at all but is in the correct place based on the OS map and Craig Weatherhill's "Belerion" description. It is intervisible with the better-preserved cairn. This post appears as part of the blog post "To be in England, in the summertime, with my love (2) Midsummer's Day" Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by thesweetcheat 1st September 2010ce

Escalls Cliff cairn (Round Cairn) — Fieldnotes

Escalls cairn sits atop the cliffs, with The Brisons visible offshore to the NNW. The coast path here runs along the base of the cliff, so this barrow is not much visited by the casual passerby, unlike Mayon Cliff for example. It is sited next to a granite outcrop and appears almost a natural feature itself, comprised of large slabs of granite which probably didn't come from very far away at all. When excavated by W.C. Borlase, a small cist was found containing an urn, together with flints and shells (shells may be local, but flint probably wasn't). There's no sign of any of that now, just the outer slabs. Worth a visit and a stop because of its lovely location, where the sky meets the sea and the sea washes the shore. I've come over all poetic, so it must be time to head onwards. This post appears as part of the blog post "To be in England, in the summertime, with my love (2) Midsummer's Day" Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by thesweetcheat 1st September 2010ce

Tregiffian Vean (Chambered Tomb) — Fieldnotes

I'm not hoping for much from Tregiffian Vean chambered tomb, having only seen the black and white photo in Craig Weatherhill's essential "Belerion", in which only the capstone appears above the ploughed surface of the field. In fact, I'm pleasantly surprised, as there is a visible mound and although the capstone is displaced it still rests on upright orthostats. The general shape of the tomb is apparent at any rate. On the downside, the chamber has been blocked with rubble and the top of the tomb has been used to dump what look to be assorted clearance stones. Perhaps not up there with the likes of Brane in terms of condition, but nevertheless a survivor and worthy of the time spent in a visit. This post appears as part of the blog post "To be in England, in the summertime, with my love (2) Midsummer's Day" Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by thesweetcheat 1st September 2010ce

Chapel Carn Brea long cairn — Fieldnotes

Past the topograph and to the southwest of the chambered tomb, there is an even rarer (and earlier) early Neolithic long cairn. Not many long cairns exist in Cornwall and I'm pretty sure this is the only one in Penwith. I didn't know it was here the first time we visited, but the new re-print of Cheryl Straffon's excellent A5 size "Ancient Sites In West Penwith" lists it, otherwise I still wouldn't be any the wiser. It would be very easy to miss this, as it looks pretty much like a natural rock outcrop. In truth, it appears that the natural rock and the contour of the hill have been incorporated into a long, low mound. The rocks form the south-eastern end of the mound. There are some stones along the sides of the mound, which may indicate that it once had some kind of retaining kerb. This post appears as part of the blog post "To be in England, in the summertime, with my love (2) Midsummer's Day" Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by thesweetcheat 1st September 2010ce

Chapel Carn Brea (Entrance Grave) — Fieldnotes

The main draw of the hill, apart from the extensive views, is the rather extraordinary chambered tomb and later cairn, which fills the hilltop and despite much subsequent damage (notably caused by the building of a medieval hermitage and then a radar observation post on top of it) still measures almost 20m across. The original Neolithic chambered tomb has been covered by the later, larger Bronze Age cairn, which accounts for most of the stonework still to be seen. The small intact chamber that can be seen is a secondary cist added when the Bronze Age mound was constructed. I manage to squeeze inside and get back out again without damage to the tomb or (more likely) myself. This is a terrific monument even in its damaged condition and definitely worth coming to visit. It provided us with the perfect location for Midsummer lunch and general chilling out. This post appears as part of the blog post "To be in England, in the summertime, with my love (2) Midsummer's Day" Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by thesweetcheat 1st September 2010ce

The Merry Maidens (Stone Circle) — Fieldnotes

The fourth of the Penwithian circles, Merry Maidens usually leaves me a bit disappointed. Its easy access makes it busy and also takes away some of the atmosphere, for me. There's no moorland walk, no secluded space, just a field next to the road. That said, the circle itself is lovely and it is very pretty. Today, there are cars parked up and a couple dowsing in the circle. I walk around the circle and renew acquaintances with it, but don't linger. This post appears as part of the blog post "To be in England, in the summertime (Interlude) Drift - Lamorna" Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by thesweetcheat 29th August 2010ce

Boscawen Menhir (Standing Stone / Menhir) — Fieldnotes

Situated two fields north of the Boscawen path, this tall and shapely stone stands over 2.5m tall, but is easily missed as it is out of site of the path. It does not stand straight, as the natural shape of the stone curves gently. Truthfully, it's rather phallic looking from some angles. Landscape views are even more restricted from here than from the Blind Fiddler, due to the agricultural surroundings that make up the lower areas of West Penwith. This post appears as part of the blog post "To be in England, in the summertime (Interlude) Drift - Lamorna" Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by thesweetcheat 29th August 2010ce

Boskawen-Un (Stone Circle) — Fieldnotes

Past the farm buildings (where I was once bitten on the bum by a goose, while G/F made her laughing escape), the tracks heads west and becomes more enclosed – not the overgrown state of a few years ago though. Anticipation builds, as it always does when approaching a circle. I wonder whether there will be anyone else there? It's three days to the solstice, when no doubt the circle will be alive with ritual of one sort or another, but I am in luck today and as I reach the wooden gate into the secluded enclosure, I see that it is empty. Fantastic! I've never been here on my own before, and never in such terrific weather. My memories of summer Boscawen are usually of either rain or hordes of weekend pagans, so this is a real treat. Julian's daughter is dead right; the quartz stone is such a draw. You may be interested to know that the central pillar provides just enough shade to escape from the midday sun if you squeeze right up under it. Time passes. This post appears as part of the blog post "To be in England, in the summertime (Interlude) Drift - Lamorna" Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by thesweetcheat 29th August 2010ce

Boscawen-Un Menhir (Standing Stone / Menhir) — Fieldnotes

Back on the A30, I head WSW along the verge until the turn for Boscawenoon farm appears. Right next to the farm track, the pointy bulk of Bowscawen-Un hedge stone looms. Despite its rather everyday setting, this is a huge stone. Its triangular shape wouldn't necessarily mark it out as an obvious choice for a standing stone, so perhaps it was erected here on a spot close to its natural setting. This post appears as part of the blog post "To be in England, in the summertime (Interlude) Drift - Lamorna" Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by thesweetcheat 29th August 2010ce

The Blind Fiddler (Standing Stone / Menhir) — Fieldnotes

This magnificent stone stands over 3m tall, one of the tallest in the peninsula. It's one of those stones that assumes an entirely different character from each angle, being very thin on the southwest/northeast faces and broad and tapering on the others. The views are somewhat restricted by hedges and trees, and apart from Sancreed Beacon it doesn't appear to point to any other obvious prehistoric sites (I'm not sure if the Drift stones would be visible if you removed all the intervening hedges). Great stone though. This post appears as part of the blog post "To be in England, in the summertime (Interlude) Drift - Lamorna" Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by thesweetcheat 29th August 2010ce