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Trethevy Quoit

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Sanctuary S
Sanctuary Apr 26, 2011 11:51:57
Replying to Mr Hamhead

Mr Hamhead wrote:
I am worried by Sanctuary's news that the stone is leaning...but again not convinced! People have been climbing on the quoit for millenia...I don't think we need to worry about it falling, I am more worried that if we start drawing attention to it that the land owner will close the field for fear of being responsible if anyone should be hurt.

Lets all settle down and beg to differ...the quoit ain't going knowhere...but I would like to be able to visit it in the future without railings around it.

Mr H

I have just returned from the Quoit ater going there armed with steps, tape measure, plumb bob, camera and camcorder. I thought that before I contact anyone I would take a new reading and one from a position easily recognisable so that when read again the positioning was exactly the same. It was my lucky day because I discovered a beautifully placed notch right at the very top of the leaning front closure stone just one inch away from the first side stone. My son came out with me (until this visit totally uninterested in the subject at 26 years of age) and (for the benefit of science and Health & Safety LS :D) walked on the 'fallen' backstone to get into a position to hold the line over the front orthostat (10' 3" high) in that notch.
With tape measure in hand and a perfectly flat side of the leaning stone to measure from, it has a lean of exactly 21.5 inches, which is some way off the perpendicular for a stone only 10' 3" tall.
We have no way of telling if the closure stone was ever totally upright originally of course, but from the previous position I measured from there has been an increase in the lean by 1/2" in one year.

I am now about to discuss this with someone in authority to see if they are happy with me taking readings every three months and report back to them, or would they prefer to do this themselves officially. I don't feel I could do anything less than that to put my mind at rest.

The good thing to come out of the morning was the awakening of my sons interest. On looking around he asked why some of the side stones appeared to be in the wrong place, something that had taken me a while to realise in the past! He brought the free-standing Station stone (as I call it) possibly into play, something I had never done before and suggested I went home and drew them all out individually so that I could slot them back in a better order the cheeky git. Of course he didn't know that I have already been working on that as he has never shown an interest at all and something you had also suggested Mr H. Maybe there's hope for him yet :D

Anyway I have photos of everything but haven't a clue how to upload them here. I could send on to someone who can if it helps!

H Horsedrawn
Horsedrawn Apr 26, 2011 12:31:04
Replying to Sanctuary

Shame to have missed you on site this weekend, maybe we could meet there another time. I'm a bit confused as to what you say but reading it through I think I know what you mean, and this is fascinating. Mr. H says we should all settle down a bit and I agree. To have the Quoit surveyed properly seems to me essential.
I have done no measurements of the stones themselves.
The thing is assymmetrical and I am no surveyor. A bit like trying to measure a sculpture. This forum, to my mind, is, or should be progressive, and no place for personal considerations; so I have been surprised by some of the responses so far as well as being delighted by others. I have been called deluded, mistaken, and a pyramidiot and I suppose this was to be expected, but I would remind correspondents who wish to continue such a pointless exercise that I care nothing for praise.

David Kane.

L Littlestone
Littlestone Apr 26, 2011 13:15:28
Replying to Sanctuary

...for the benefit of science and Health & Safety...
Well I hope he took his shoes off, or at least wore soft sole ones ;-) Seriously, you’re doing a grand job Mr S, and your observations might have come in the nick of time. Let’s hope the powers that be don’t just fence it off for H&S reasons and then forget about it. If it needs fixing then that’s what’s gotta be done.