Showing 1-20 of 96 fieldnotes. Most recent first | Next 20 
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Viewed from the road this looks like a little bus shelter. We had to laugh when we got up close the dear little stone looked so cosy in his little house. The stone has a latin inscription on one side so it looks likely that this stone has been reveared since at least the 5th or 6th centuries. Other sources say it could have been a re-used standing stone from the Bronze age. It stands at the head of a stream. The sign board inside states that the little hut was erected in 1906 for protection.
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Apparently these rock markings are best reached from the River Gannel by boat. There are not far from a place known as the Fern pit. This place is easy to find as there is a small ferry that operates from this point across to Crantock beach.
ps
The Gannel is tidal and a dangerous place to swim or wade, in order to walk right around the estuary you will need to avoid high tide.
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Only recently re-discovered near the Men gurta this "kistvaen" or entrance grave. It consists of two huge slabs of stone of a similar type to the nearby menhirs and the quoit at Pawton. I had seen it marked on some old maps but two separate books on local sites said it no longer existed!
First record by William Borlase in 1872 in his work Naenia Cornubiae.
He writes.....
"About 150 yards of the taller stone (Men Gurta) and upon equally high ground lies a flat stone of spar 9 feet 6 inches long by sis feet broad at its greatest breath resting on the ground at its northern edge and at its southern, diagonally upon a second stone 7 feet 6 inches long by 2 feet 6 inchesin breadth, and about the same in hieght above the ground. It has the appearance of an imperfectly form Kist-Vaen and therefore should pehaps have been inserted at a previous page.
A barrow of small stones from 30 to 40 feet in diameter lies around it, and a farmer mentioned the fact that an old man digging among them had once discovered something curious, but of what nature he could not remember. A small cairn also surrounded the adjacent monumentwhile barrows are scattered in abundance over the neighbouring downs."
A footnote on the page
This species of monument is sometimes called an "earth-fast Cromlech" sometimes a "demi-dolmen" - Examples are not uncommon in Brittany and at Kerland bears a strong resemblance to the above.
The site is almost unchanged compare with the sketch in Borlase's book although the area is slighty grown over. There is a trig point nearby, the site can be found slighty off the track that leads from the trig point if you walk to Men Gurta.
An exciting find and no Cornish guide book mentions it!
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Whilst driving towards Luxulyan from Lanivet this huge arse appeared over the hedge. After nearly crashing the car I stopped in a layby and stared in wonder......surely this was a place of worship?
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Had no trouble finding these. Left the car in layby opposite the "Rocky valley gallery" and followed footpath signs down the valley crossed over a footbridge across a fast running stream. The carving were just behind the ruins of the old mills about 100 metres after the bridge. Also guided by strips of cloths and other rubbish hanging from the trees around the site. This spoilt an otherwise idlic setting.
Hanging of cloth is quite common at certain holy wells in Cornwall but I was surprised to see it here. There is no tradition on of healing wells or trees at this site perhaps visitors were influenced by displays of cloth on trees at the the nearby Witchcraft museum in Boscastle.
The sign at the site claims that the carvings Bronze-age but there is heavy debate that the carvings could have been carved by a "bored miller". Perhaps they are ancient but more that one historian has pointed out the that work seems to have been carried out with a tool similiar to the ones used by millwright.
No other carvings of this type are found in Cornwall.
A site full of a mystery and well worth a visit. (Don't let the miller theory put you off).
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12 jan 2003
Took the route from stannon circle and thought that the Louden circle would appear before us as we reached the crest of the hill.....wrong!
The circle would easily be missed if wasn't for the map we had with us. There seems to be about 4 what you could call standing stones (stumps) and the rest are more or less stones on the ground.
Had trouble tracing the shape also. Just to confuse things stones seem to stick out of the ground all over the place many are obviously cairns there are also some stone banks that aren't marked on OS maps. Unfortunately didnt have time to travel down to Fernacre which would have been an circle within easy reach if we had time (maybe another day)
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A massive triple rampart and ditch system protected an area of 2.5ha at the tip of the headland. Several hut circles lie within the defended enclosure.
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Noticed this from the roadside on the way to visit the Essa stones. It looks lighter that the Essa stones so may be a spar stone.
I thought it may be a rubbing post but why is it so close to the hedge when most rubbing posts are in the middle of the field?
The pic I took was using the full zoom on my camera.
Lack of access prevents closer examination.
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While looking at the Essa stones 1and 2, I found this stump in the field to the east. It looks very similar to the other two apart from the fact that is much more squat.
Again no mention on the map and NO mention in Robin Payne's book.
If this is an ancient stone then I claim it!
Phil's stump! :o)
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Visited these after tip off from Johan.
After crossing on the passenger ferry from Fowey, we walked along the narrow (& steep!) road out of Polruan for half a mile till we came to the fork in the road after a further 200 metres along the right fork, you can see the first big stone on the left hand side. Looking down the the right you can see the smaller stone near the edge of the field.
They are unlike any other stones I have seen in Cornwall.
I saw 2 other similar stones in neighbouring fields of a similar type.
I also found some similar stones in the hedges around the fields.
The stones are mentioned in Robin Payne's book which I use for alot of my references.
He says that in 1813 the first ordinace survey map for this area shows a mound at SX141510 which is just to the south of these stones. Could this be the source of this strange stones?
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This is stone is part of a group of rare examples of slate menhirs.
They are sited in a field, just above the village of Polruan.
Essa Stone 1, is the most impressive at 1 .6 metres high.
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If you've ever been to Newquay you've probably driven past this site. It's on the hill just above the river Gannel.
It's called a round on the map, but looks to me more like a big hairy eyebrow.
It was quite difficult to get a good view of it but by driving around in carparks and housing estates on the hill opposite the river I was able to get a few clear shots of it.
i know it was excavated a few yaers back and there is a report on it somewhere.
What I love about looking out these kind of sites is knowing that so many people know nothing about its existance. Even people living in the houses looking down to the river.
(I'll get get me anorak)
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I passed this site totally by chance.
I just noticed it over a hedge as I approach the clapper bridge at Delford.
I took several photos with zoom lense from the road side.
Looking at the stone from different angles it looks to me like a fallen Quoit stone, other stones scattered around it would add weight to this theory.
Looking on the map I found that the neighbouring farms go by the names
Penquite, South Penquite, Best Penquite, Higher Penquite and Lower Penquite
"Pen" = Hill or Head "quite" could be a corruption of quoit
hence: Quoit on the hill
Anyone agree?
Phil
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What a site.
Different from any other!
If you want come by car, we managed to park near the end of the road at Casehill or if you want to come from the south you should be able to pull over on the road that crosses Emblance downs leading towards the water works.
The route from all directions is quite dry under foot.
(Mind you, the footpath from Lower Candra looked a bit sticky)
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Tricky one to get to due to fences, stone hedges and cattle.
I was visiting Arthurs hall and it was too close to miss out.
Much more impressive than the ruined circle on Arthurs downs.
footnote
I'm not sure on the rights of access but I didn't cause any damage or frighten any animals. There is gate to the field from the west, (which I found on the way out).
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A semi circle of recumbent stones lies on the edge of the clitter.
ref: Parish of Northhill checklist
the grid ref given here is 24537730
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Apparently it was originally an Iron Age/Romano-British enclosed farmstead it was converted in the medieval period to a Playing Place where miracle plays were performed. The depression in the middle (The Devil's Spoon) was the place where the Devil sprang from during the performances.
There are several "Playing places" in Cornwall.
In Cornish they are called "plen-an-gwarry"
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Didn't have time to get close to the site but got some reasonable photies from the roadside.
I see on the map there is a footpath that runs directly besides the wood so may be worth a visit in the future.
The whole area is made up of gorgeous rolling fields, woods and scattered farms.
Even a non-drood would enjoy a walk here!
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"Car" or "Caer" in Cornish is a place name from the Celtic "ker" meaning fort. You will also find Caer place names in Wales. In Brittany they use the spelling "Ker"
Caer Dane has no public access but you can get a reasonable view from the road that leads from Perranzabuloe to the fantastically named vilage of Ventongimps.
The small fort sits nicely on the hilltop and is covered with trees in the distance you can also see the larger wooded site of Caer Kief.
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Showing 1-20 of 96 fieldnotes. Most recent first | Next 20 |
Born in Cornwall 1966.
Main interests include Hillforts and barrows. I try to cover mainly Cornish sites but about five times a year get to visit Dorset where my wifes family live. Fairly keen on folklore and earth mysteries etc.
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