I will be contacting the Cornwall County Archaeology department on Tuesday morning to have a word. I don't wish to be an alarmist but facts are facts and I would feel terrible if the unthinkable were to happen and some poor kids died because I had been negligent in not reporting it. When I was filming there a couple of days ago there were two local kids climbing on the 'fallen' stone which leans against the itself leaning front closure stone and never gave it a thought then. And this morning 4 German tourists turned up for a flying visit and for the 'family album' three climbed onto the same stone while the fourth took the photo. I only took my first reading a year ago and have no idea if it was built with a lean or not, but the fact is, it has moved out a further half inch during that time. I have no idea if the local archaeo's check up on these things and the very last thing I want is for H & S to get involved because you know what that'll mean...closure!
Does anyone on here have any experience in this type of structure? I know you have to have something stabilised somehere to work from before the remaining structure can be assembled and I'm assuming it's the front closure stone but there seems to be remarkably little known here. It is very cleverly put together as the overlapping side stones lock each other in place by just the rear ones being anchored above by the capstone and the front one prevented from falling inward by the front closure stone. The bank to the exterior holding the bottoms in place. My intention is to publish something eventually but I don't want it to involve any guesswork or quirky thinking. It is, as already been said, a remarkable piece of work carried out by our amazing ancestors but I would like to get to the bottom of its build first and whether everything is where it should be before concerning myself with anything else.
Cheers, Roy