Possible misidentification??

Menear Longstone 1

Image by bigfoot_66

bigfoot_66 Sep 2, 2007 14:48:41

Couldn't help but notice Ocifant's posting re the Menear Longstone from way back in 2003. The description and photo seem to actually relate to the Gwallon menhir in Penrice School (those are the right blue uniforms in the photo).

Anyone else confirm this??

The Menear Longstone actually stands in the field next to the local recycling tip, opposite side of the road from the small reservoir and mast, directly behind Menear Farm itself, just off the A391 out of St Austell.

It isn't listed on the ordance survey but I make the map ref approx:
Latitude: 54° 50' N
Longitude: 03° 40' W

Went up there today to bag a photo but there seemed to be a late crop starting so reluctant to trample it. I'm posting the poor effort I did manage but will upload something better later in the season.

ocifant Sep 2, 2007 15:09:58

Replying to bigfoot_66

The picture I took is of the stone marked 'Long Stone' on the OS map at SX029521. It's also marked as such on the Magic map, though the associated PDF file appears corrupted when I try to view it.

It is indeed in school grounds, and as much as it pains me to say it, checking in The Romance of the Stones it appears that I did indeed snap the 'Gwallon Menhir'.

Maybe one of the kind Eds will move my entry and photo?

Well spotted sir! You do realise of course that I'll now have to revisit next month to see the real Menear Longstone? :-))

ocifant Sep 2, 2007 17:56:45

Replying to bigfoot_66

OK, I'm slightly confused now.

Looking further in Romance of the Stones (RotS), Gwallon Menhir is shown at SX 0295 5212 (which is the one on the OS map).

Menear Longstone is shown as at SX 0345 5212, which is a short distance immediately east of the Gwallon Menhir. It is described as being "on high ground, overlooking St Austell Bay", although it also mentions it as being on the farm and near the road with the same name. Looking on the OS map, Menear Farm is at SX 0353 5440. There is an obvious disparity here with the location and grid ref.

Is 'your' Menear on the farm to the north of the main town, south of Trethurgy? Can the bay be seen from the stone? If (as I suspect) the answer to both is yes, then the grid ref in RotS (and shown here on TMA) is incorrect. The Lat/Lon figures you give seem to place it somewhere slightly east of the Isle of Man on my map :-) You couldn't revisit with a GPS by any chance?

We need to sort this out! :-)