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Adventures In Cornwall & Devon - Part 2
I was pretty determined to spend 'Christmas Day' 2002 on a wind swept moor amongst ancient sites, and I managed to do just that.
I started with a quiet drive to the most famous quoit in East Cornwall, the huge Trethevy Quoit. I had seen it so many times in pictures; it was great to see it for real.
I moved onto toward the Hurlers but not before stopping at The Longstone Cross / Long Tom Cross. It may have once been a menhir that was then Christianised by carving a cross on its face. The stone stands alone, often amongst sheep roaming the moor, and on the horizon a line of old mine chimneys can been seen, marking the lode (course) of a copper vein. Even on this day there were lots of walkers and doggie people around The Hurlers, which was nice. It's good to see people taking an interest (even a passing interest) in our history. Not only are the circles fascinating, but the whole place is steeped in history, from the Pipers, Rillaton Barrow, the Cheesewring, Stowe's Pound, and Craddock moor sites, to the plethora of old mining ruins.
Without a map or compass you may be lucky enough to stagger across the fallen Craddock Moor Circle 1 km North West of the Hurlers whilst exploring Craddock Moor. Even with a map and compass you may not find them as the stones are all recumbent and are not visible from any distance. Further on is the tiny Craddock Moor Stone Row. There's no easy way to describe how to get to this but if you wanna go try my instructions (or practice better compass reading that me – not hard!).
A few kilometres away from the Hurlers area, King Doniert's Stone(s) stand in a beautiful walled enclosure, complete with stone benches. The Cornwall Heritage Trust could obviously teach English Heritage a thing or two.
I love ancient sites but sometimes you need a break so I went to the Eden Project on the 26th. This is not a criticism but of all the people who needed to go I wasn't high on the list – I live a few kilometres from Kew Gardens and they are pretty similar in many ways. Anyway, go and see, and if you do, please spend a minute filling in a Gift Aid form, which means that they can claim 28% extra (over and above your admission fee) from the taxman.
On my way to Bodmin Moor I stopped at Lesquite Quoit but couldn't properly explore, and had a wander around the huge Lanhydrock estate. The rest of the day was spent on the moor visiting the three stone circles of Stannon, Louden Hill, and Fernacre. Many of my stone counts didn't match other people's counts, the most interesting of which may have been Louden Hill where I counted 31 stones, as opposed to Craig Weatherhill's 16/17 stones.
I also stumbled across something that could be interesting, or could just be a few stones in a quarter circle – I've taken the liberty of calling it Louden Hill 2?? I take no responsibility for it being just a couple of stones spotted by an eccentric walker on a lonely moor! I also came across a stone cist and two cairns between Louden Hill and Fernacre, which all seemed to align East-West to a stone in the background. As the night descended it led to the photos coming out very dark and now I scratch my head and wonder if it was just my imagination……a strange day.
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Adventures in Cornwall & Devon - Part 1
December 2002
I spent the 'Christmas' period in Cornwall; the perfect antidote to avaricious London and the zombies at the malls.
On my way down I managed to stop off at the Hellstone Burial chamber in Dorset, which I had missed out (due to time demands) on my Dorset trip in September 2002, the Spinsters' Rock on the edge of Dartmoor, and the lovely Grimspound, complete with fog and fading light.
On Monday (23.12.2002) I took a trip down to Land's End. I started by mainly visiting lots of lone or paired stones like The Blind Fiddler, Higher Drift Stones, and the Menhirs at Trelew, Treverven, and Kerris. The Boscawen-Ros stone(s) was the most mysterious. Where did the other stone go? I am a 'country boy' at heart so I can understand that farmers may really not want standing stones / burial chambers etc on their land (especially arable land) but the amount of stones that have disappeared (even in very recent times) is quite frightening. One reason that I try to be pretty precise and source any information I put on this web site is because, who knows, maybe info from this site will be a precious resource in future times. If we don't log what we've seen (or not seen) our history will just slip away from us, each time a developer wants a town or village to expand, or a farmer gets pissed off at having to plough around that annoying stone that sticks up in his field.
I thought that Boskawen-Un stone circle, and the stones close to it were fascinating. Next up was the complex around the Merry Maidens Stone Circle, including the lovelyTregiffian Burial Chamber and the phallic Gun Rith Menhir. I hadn't phoned ahead to visit Boleigh Fogou so I didn't visit, but at least I know where it is for next time. I ended the day trying to find Castallack Carn Menhir – but no joy, rather than Pure Joy.
I was knackered already – this clean air really does you in. On Tuesday (24.12.2002) I visited Duloe Stone Circle, the most local ancient site to where I was staying. Later I moved up North to the magnificent hill fort at Castle-an-Dinas in the Restormel District. Only three miles to the North the Nine Maidens Stone Row beckoned, plus the sad and lonely Magi Stone ('The Fiddler')another 500metres on. The Long Stone near Pencarrow was an interesting area – I'm no expert but there seems to be all sorts going on in this field and in the local area. I then did something different by visiting the British Cycling Museum at the Old Station, north of Camelford. A bit of a cheesy jumble, with every tiny cycling knik-nak kept for eternity, but also some real gems including very early cycles and a Tour de France 'Maillot Jaune' and World Championship jersey from Chris Boardman. All run by a very devoted couple John & Sue Middleton – I was the first visitor for 10 days!
The homepage of the Cornwall Archeological Unit, which is part of the Historic Environment Section of Cornwall County Council. Loads of interesting news and info, and over thirty publications available to buy.   |
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Boscawen-Un - 23.12.2002
I'm not convinced it really is a public road but presumably the locals have got used to people driving up the farm track towards Boscawenoon Farm, because half way up to the Farm there is a lay-by on the right and small sign saying 'No cars beyond this point'. The wall to this lay-by also contains the standing stone marked on the map at SW418277 - called Boscawen-Un Menhir on this site.
After the farm, you walk towards Changwens and then a small sign (at SW415274) points the way up to the circle. The track up to the circle is not a road track like the OS map makes it seem like. In fact, in December it was pretty narrow and overgrown and not very pretty.
After a while (at a double set of farm gates, either side of the track) the track widens out and after another 200metres or so you scoot through the wild hedge and the circle is in front of you in all its glory. The quartz stone is opposite the entrance.
As I walked back up the track I became suspicious at the enormous stones that formed the wall with the field to my left (the North). This is the first field back towards the Farm. As I got back to double gates mentioned above I decided to explore (officially trespass, but I was just looking along the side of the field, with no livestock or crops in). About halfway back down the field, parallel with the track (i.e. towards the circle again) there is a huge suspicious lozenge shaped stone making up part of the field wall - it's 270 x 170cm (on it's side - I've labelled the photo on the page as 'Boscawen Un suspicious stone 1'). 100 metres on, right down in the corner of the field (i.e. a stones throw from the circle, but separated by the hedge and the lane) there is another large suspicious lozenge shaped stone looking well out of place in the wall/hedge -it's 195 x 165cm (upright - I've labelled the photo on the page as 'Boscawen Un suspicious stone 2').
It is almost impossible to give these stones separate grid references as they both lie at about SW413274.  |
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Boscawen-Ros Stones(s) - 23.12.2002
SW428239
Interesting. 2 stones marked on the OS map, but only one remains. Approach from Boskenna Cross at SW426243, where there is a lay-by at the junction of the B3315 and the side road to St.Buryan. A well signposted public footpath leads from here towards the field with the stone in it; which was very very boggy. The remaining stone measures 230cm (H) x 45 (W) x 55 (D) and when I visited had been vandalised by several Christian crosses burnt into the lichen on the stone. This site is not mentioned in Craig Weatherhill's excellent 1981 book 'Belerion: Ancient Sites of Land's End' (Cornwall Books).
So where is the other stone? In Ian McNeil Cooke’s ‘Standing Stones of the Land’s End’ (1998 – Men-an-Tol Studio) he says that today’s stone was “re-erected in the centre of the field….a second stone (2m) stands uprooted in the hedge to the West”. I couldn’t spot this, but both fields you walk in seem to be littered with large stones in the field walls! So the jury was out for me. I took photos of suspicious stones and have posted above. The one labelled 'suspicious stones 1' is of the stones in the hedge on the East side of the field (approx SW429239). The one labelled 'suspicious stones 2' is of suspicious stones now part of the West hedge in the first field (approx SW427242) L stone = 225 (W) x 160 (H) - R stone = 205 (H) x 125 (W). The one labelled 'suspicious stones 3' is of stones in the hedge right by the entrance from the road layby.  |
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My real name is Martin, but there is already a Martin vigorously posting on this fantastic web site so I decided to use 'Pure Joy'; which was the title of the Teardrop Explodes and Julian Cope fanzine that I set up in 1988 and ran until 1991/2. Strangely my interest in ancient sites pre-dates the knowledge that Julian was also into them. However Julian's book has certainly led me to visit more, and plan holidays and pit-stops around places to visit! Studying History (and International Relations) at Uni and coming from the West Country led to a healthy fascination with ancient sites and the countryside.
I was born in 1970 in Colerne, a historic village between Bath and Chippenham (mentioned in the Domesday Book) and have spent time in Bath, Reading, Manchester, West Africa, and Ethiopia. I'm currently living near London, but itching to live in the countryside, preferably Cornwall, or Africa. Reality check! little money and inertia creep.
Most of my working life has been in the voluntary sector, usually by supporting voluntary and community groups with advice and information. I enjoy doing quite a bit of voluntary work with our Credit Union, and as an elected Council member of the National Trust.
I'm no photography expert but I like to take photos (nearly always black and white) of places I visit. Some of the earlier ones looked good but it was only with a £25 point and shoot camera that was amazing unreliable. I've now got an old Pentax SLR, but at the moment I refuse to use filters and special effects. You get what you see.
Up side of ancient site = the sense of history, the countryside, the walk, the sense of adventure, the tranquillity, and the weird things that sometimes happen.
Downside = the loneliness, territorial cows, and the cravings to get back to the countryside
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