Photograph displayed at Penlee House, showing Penwith Natural History and Antiquarian Society at Men Scrifa [sic] on the Society’s Annual Excursion, 1909. The inscription on the stone has been chalked to make it easier to read. Apologies for the reflections from the glass.
Images
The Mên Scryfa on Burnt Downs. Photograph taken from the west-south-west on the 8th of May 2004. © Chris Bond
The Mên Scryfa on Burnt Downs. Photograph taken from the north-north-west on the 8th of May 2004. © Chris Bond
The Mên Scryfa on Burnt Downs. Photograph taken from the east on the 8th of May 2004. © Chris Bond
The Mên Scryfa on Burnt Downs. Photograph taken from the south on the 8th of May 2004. © Chris Bond
11 November 2021 CE
You shall not pass!
September 2015
September 2015
September 2015
September 2015
The inscribed side, with Nine Maidens Down behind.
Towards Carn Galva and Hannibal’s Carn.
Looking northwest-ish.
Looks like a nice bronze age standing stone to me :-)
With Nine Maidens behind.
Men Scryfa as sunset approaches.
In Penwith summer.
Men Scryfa in its landscape, with Ding Dong on the horizon
Men Scryfa, with Carn Galva behind
Maen Scryfa – 10th May 2004
NO
VA
LO
R
LI
IA
CV
BR
ANI
A highlighted version of the inscription on the Men Scryfa.
The full inscription reads (buried sections in brackets):
RIALOBRANI CVNOVALI(FILI)
In the dog-latin being used at the time in the area the two I’s nearest the ground are turned on their sides.
Taken 11/8/06
A detail of the inscription on the Men Scryfa.
The full inscription reads (buried sections in brackets):
RIALOBRANI CVNOVALI(FILI)
In the dog-latin being used at the time in the area the two I’s nearest the ground are turned on their sides.
Taken 11/8/06
Moo!
Men Scryfa pictured being given a good talking to.... (For scale Jane is 5’ 9”)
Men scryfa – 27.12.2002
Tried to get the inscription but too dark.
Men Scryfa. March ‘99.
Detail, showing carved Celto-Roman writing.
Approaching the Men Scryfa. March ‘99.
Carn Galva in background.
Approaching the Men Scryfa. March ‘99.
Carn Galva in background.
Articles
From the CASPN website:
On Thursday 1st June, CASPN received a very concerning message from a member of the public that there had been an attack on Mên Scryfa, an inscribed stone that stands below Carn Galva (& probably formerly a Bronze Age menhir). Someone had poured petrol (or similar liquid) over the top of the stone and set it on fire – blackening the top part of the stone’s north side and burning off all the lichen from that part of the stone. In addition, someone had also dug around the base of the stone to a depth of about 20cm (4”).
CASPN immediately contacted the police and other authorities to report this mindless act of vandalism against a scheduled monument. I visited Mên Scryfa on Friday to see the damage for myself – and am just so shocked and disappointed that anyone would want to do such a thing to one of our precious ancient sites.
James Kitto
Chair of CASPN* Postscript: We now know that this dreadful attack took place before the afternoon of Sunday 28th May. Any further information may be shared with CASPN or reported to the police.
Eventually we head off back the way we came, past the barrow and down to the Four Parish Stone again. From here a track between low hedges leads southwestwards. Men Scryfa is in the first field on the right, with a gate at the southern corner allowing access (there is no public right of way into the field and there are often cows pastured here). Today is a cow-free day, so we pop in to say hello. There’s no doubting the stone’s Dark Ages provenance – it’s written all over its face. But in truth is also makes a very convincing Bronze Age menhir, shapely and tall, set in a landscape bursting with the remains of the period.
Visited 11.4.10.
Just a 5 minute walk further up the path from Men-An-Tol, in a field on your left. The inscription is fairly easily made out on the opposite side of the stone as you approach via the handy stone stile into the field. Very easy to access and well worth it when visiting Men-An-Tol.
Just a couple of fields away from Men an Tol this 6’ standing stone is worth checking out if you’re en route up the path toward the Nine Maidens. You really can’t miss it. The light was awful to see the inscriptions when we were there at about 11.30am, I guess it’s better in the summer in the late afternoon.
With the weather forecasters telling us that the whole country was to be in the grip of an Ice Age by mid week I headed for subtropical St Ives. My partner had a two day conference to go to so I thought I would join her and get in some walking at the same time.
Tuesday 27th Jan 2004
Drove out of St Ives a couple of miles to the hamlet of Towednack. In the porch of the church on the right is a recumbent stone that according to Ian Cooke’s guide to the Tinners Way came from Crete in 2000-1500BC.
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Left the church and took the footpath heading west to Beagletodn. Just after the house a gate on the right (padlocked) has to be climbed over so a track can be followed.
You will find in these two walks that I have not stuck to legal paths but made my own way over what is essentilly wild moorland. This is possible in mid January as the bracken has died down but even so I would reccomend wearing waterproof trousers and taking a stick.
The track twists its way amongst boulders and water features untill you come to a gate near the Pump House featured on the OS map. Go through the gate and turn right. You will soon find yourself walking up between two walls (not for the last time that you will be following ancient trackways). At the top of this track you come to another gate, once the other side of it it is time to head out over the moors towards Sperris Quoit.
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Known as one of the most elusive sites in Cornwall I battled my way through the bracken and gorse in a north westerly direction untill I saw the pile of rocks on the skyline. Don’t be mistaken by Sperris Croft, a smaller pile but nethertheless named on the OS map.
Reaching the rock piles you will get great views over to the coast and also of Zennor Hill. The quoit lays just to the south of the rocks and can be distinguished by one triangular upright. Even from here it is not easy to reach and requires some scrambling amongst the stones. Keep an eye out for the ancient stone wall that runs off to the SEast, did they use stones from the quoit in its construction?
Leaving the rocks walk towards the ruined mine building. Wheal Sperris was a small mine started in the early 1800’s, all around this area are open shafts, water channels and various holes in the ground. If you do leave the path, beware, it’s pretty uneven ground.
Zennor Quoit looms on the horizon to the SWest and the path is easy to follow.
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Once there I was undecided as to which way to go next, down to Zennor and the Tinners Arms, or onto other sites. The fact that I could see Mulfra Quoit on the horizon weighted my decision and I decided to head south along the old trackway before turning west to the Bishop’s Head and Foot boundry marker. This involved trudging through along muddy paths but the sense of space and the fact that the sun was shining made up for it. On the left hand side of the road beside Kerrowe Cottage is a stone with a nice carving on it, I don’t believe it tobe very old and judging by the “standing stones” opposit possibly a residents artwork.
Follow the tarmaced track to the road then carry on ahead to the “main” road. Cross the road and find the path that leads up over the northern saddle of Mulfra Hill. Yet again I decided to head out cross open moor and took myself off up the side of the hill. A couple of times I thought I had stuimbled across an unknown stone circle lying hidden in the gorse but decided my imagination was playing tricks. There is so much rock up there and at times you can trace a large arc between them, but never mind.
Eventually I picked up a path and found the quoit.
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I could not have asked for a better view, the Lizard stood out clear as a bell, St Michael’s Mount sat below me and the sun caught the roofs of Newlyn giving them a silver coating. Time for a cup of coffee and a rest.
I suddenly realised time was getting on and I was far from the car. A footpath supposedly runs east from here down to the road but somewhere along the way I lost it and just plunged down the hillside dwarfed by boulders before reaching a forest of Rhododendrons.
I had thought of visiting the Tyre Menhir but time was getting on so I headed to Tyre Farm and turned left along another muddy footpath. Reaching a large Badger holt the path carries on cross a field to a gate beside a small pond (puddle!). In the next field a new fence has been eracted and the route of the path is not clear. However what is marked on the OS map as a round wall around a shaft interested me, is it just a round wall or is it a hillfort?
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I climbed over the new fence at the far end of the field having decided there was no way through the hedge and skirted the pond before finding a rusty gate hidden in the undergrowth. It was impossible to open so I climbed over, disturbing a fox in the process. Turn left along the valley and you soon come back out onto the Kerrowe track, turn right.
THe simple way back from here is to follow the bridleway around the south side of Amalveor Downs to Embla Vean then by road to Towednack. I chose a slightly longer route heading more to the south but this did not include any sites of TMA interest except for a couple of tumuli sat overgrown in fields.
The walk took me about 5 hours including stops and it’s not just a trudge between quoits it’s a walk that offers lots more, space, views, and if like me you don’t meet anyone all day, solitude.
28th January 2004
Started day 2 at the carpark beside the engine houses of Carn Galver mine (on the B3306). It was here that my love affair with Penwith began. On a blustery day in Feb 1987 a friend gave me my introduction to rock climbing, if you want to get close to this landscape try hanging on to it by your fingers whilst the waves crash 200ft below you.
Today I head away from the sea, up the footpath/stream that runs along the west side of Carn Galver.
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I have been up amongst the rocks before so today I carry on to the crest of the hill untill I come to a crossroads of paths. Turning right brings me to the field in which the Maen Scryfa stands.
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Sadly the sun is right behind the stone so reading the inscription is not easy and photgraphing it impossible. I am struck by the contrast between lush green fields, stone walls and barren moorland. The dead bracken has turned much of the landscape a dull brown colour, only turning gold when the sun hits it at the right angle.
From the maen Scryffa it is a short walk to the men-an-tol, all is good there and after a short rest I carry on in the direction of Greenburrow Engine House (commonly known as Ding Dong).
Just after passing the little stream I noticed a pile of boulders on the right hand side. Amongst these and just beside the path is a square pit. Gorse and hawthorn grow out of it and it is full of water. I plunged my stick it and found it had a bottom, not far down. Like the “Hillfort” yesterday could this be an undiscovered cairn? or is it a mining relic, I will do some research and see what i can find out.
Ding Dong reached and explored (I wont bore you with mining details) I headed back towards Boskedndan circle.
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The footpath is thin and runs through gorse and bracken but by following the wall I found my way to a cairn on the south end of the ridge. This lays buried amongst gorse, but with most of the other bracken etc dead it was possible to make out the stones that form the cairn.
The ridge runs north towards Carn Galvers mighty south peak and the stone circle is soon reached. It is rather a wet area in winter and a couple of times I was glad of my stick and high sides of my boots. I missed the standing stone but did explore the tumuli at the north end of the ridge before charging out across the moor to Little Galver, the rocky luump to the east. This was hard going! I wouldn’t reccomend it but I had decided I wanted to visit the quoit at Bosporthennis.
After a lot of hard work I reahed the walls that surround the quoit. Wow! this is a stoney landscape but imagine how many stones were used to build these walls? Up to 4ft thick inplaces and about 5ft tall we marvel at what it took to build the monuments but think how much work went into building these. And how old are they? who knows, some say the field patterns down here date back to the bronze age.{17,18,19,20}}
Having visited the quoit I head back to the road down another vague footpath before following the road back to the car. Looks like I am in time for a pint and a bowl of fish soup at the Gurnards Head
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.
Once you know where it is this menhir is visible from Men-an-Tol, Nine Maidens (Boskednan) and Ding Dong mine, from a distance the stone was very dark in it’s field.
I read in ‘Journey To The Stones’ that there’s a well/spring nearby (in a field somewhere behind the four parish boundary stone that lies by the track to Boskednan, but couldn’t find it).
I was going to Boskednan but did’nt have my waders so chickened out and popped over to photo Men Scryfa instead, still very muddy though.
Men Scryfa – 27.12.2002
Easy to reach if you’re visiting either the Nine Maidens or Men-an-tol. Although there is no official public footpath to the stone marked on the map, there is a stile into the field at its South West corner, and a well-trodden path to this curious inscribed stone. There seems to be no other obvious way out of the field, so best to retrace your steps back to the stile.
The inscription, probably made long after the menhir was orginally erected, reads
RIALOBRANI (Royal Raven)
CUNOVALI FILI (’Famous leader’ or ‘Glorious Prince’)
The raven is a bird of carrion, linked with death and the battlefield and was believed to have magical power for those who worshipped it. The raven is one of the forms taken by the Irish Morrigan, goddess of war and death.
Celtic legend links the name of Bran (in RialoBRANi) to a ancient British warrior king, keeper of the cauldron of immortality, whose decapitated head continued to have powers of speech and was later buried on the site of the Tower of London, where ravens still live. Bran also appears in Arthurian legend under a variety of names and he was a Celtic solar war god.
The story of RIALOBRANI (Ryalvran) is clearly very ancient. An invader attacked the Glorious Prince, seized his lands and occupied the Lescudjack hillfort at Penzance, which protected the harbour. The defeated royalty fled possibly to the area around Carn Euny or the hillfort of Caer Bran (Raven Castle). The Royal Raven tried to reclaim his territory and a battle took place, but Ryalvran was killed and buried by the stone which apparently was the same height as the dead warrior.
From Ian Cooke’s ‘Antiquities of West Cornwall
As with many other old stones in Cornwall, there was a belief that gold lay buried beneath it. A story says that some time ago a man who had a recurring dream of a crock of gold, dug a pit around the base of the stone. He found nothing but the stone collapsed and has only been re-erected in recent times.
This stone, supoosedly marks the burial place of Ryalvran, who is said to have died here fighting for the recovery of his fathers land.
His opponent is unknown, although it’s thought he occupied Lescudjack Castle around 400-500AD.
Disputed Antiquity
Men Scryfa is a scheduled monument because it is considered to be a good example of an early medieval memorial stone. However English Heritage’s Record does add “It has been suggested that this memorial stone may be a reused standing stone as the early Christians often took over previously venerated stones and marked them with crosses.”
The inscription on the stone reads RIALOBRANI CUNOVALI FILI.
I have read that as this is not proper Latin, but a version being used at the time of carving by locals living on the edge of the Roman Empire, an exact translation is difficult, but “of the Royal Raven, son of the Glorious Prince” is close.
Source: Antiquities of West Cornwall. Guide 1: The Men-An-Tol Holed Stone
[ISBN 0-9512371-2-8]
menantolstudio.freeserve.co.uk/web%20page%203(2).htm
Sites within 20km of Men Scryfa
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Venton Bebibell
photo 4 description 1 -
The Four Parish Stone
photo 7 description 3 -
Men-An-Tol
photo 99 forum 3 description 44 link 3 -
Burnt Downs Holed Stone
photo 2 description 1 -
Boskednan Cairn
photo 31 description 4 -
Watch Croft
photo 35 forum 1 description 5 -
Watch Croft
photo 28 description 2 -
Little Galva
photo 4 description 1 -
Nine Maidens of Boskednan
photo 119 forum 4 description 19 -
Boskednan Southern Cairn
photo 15 description 2 -
Lanyon
photo 6 description 1 -
Carn Galva
photo 23 description 6 -
Hannibal’s Carn
photo 3 description 1 -
Bosiliack Barrow
photo 38 description 5 -
Bosporthennis 'Beehive Hut'
photo 42 forum 2 description 9 link 1 -
Trevean Round
photo 7 description 1 -
Ding Dong lane
photo 9 description 1 -
Trevean North
photo 5 -
Bosporthennis Quoit
photo 17 forum 2 description 3 link 1 -
Lanyon Quoit
photo 114 forum 1 description 18 link 1 -
West Lanyon Quoit
photo 7 description 5 -
Kerrow Bosullow
photo 2 description 1 -
Bodrifty Iron Age Settlement
photo 22 description 2 link 1 -
Trevowhan
description 2 -
Carfury
photo 15 description 5 -
Bosigran Settlement
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Bosigran Cliff
photo 30 description 2 -
Porthmeor Fogou
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Bodrifty Barrows
photo 9 description 2 -
Porthmeor
photo 14 description 6 -
Bodrifty Reconstruction
photo 2 forum 1 description 1 link 1 -
Porthmeor Roundhouses
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Bosullow Trehyllys Courtyard House Settlement
photo 16 description 4 -
Treen Entrance Graves
photo 26 forum 1 description 6 -
The Beacon (Zennor)
photo 4 description 1 -
Porthmeor (Treen Common)
photo 17 description 2 -
Mulfra Hill round barrows
photo 19 description 2 -
The Giant’s Grave (Morvah)
photo 1 description 1 -
Crofto
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Mulfra Hill
photo 3 description 1 -
Mulfra Quoit
photo 78 forum 1 description 16 -
Chûn
photo 2 -
Chun Castle
photo 47 description 4 -
Mulfra courtyard houses
photo 13 description 1 link 1 -
Chûn Quoit
photo 97 forum 2 description 16 link 1 -
Higher Downs
photo 2 -
Pennance
photo 15 description 3 -
Madron Holy Well
photo 18 description 13 -
Kerrow
photo 2 description 1 -
Gurnard’s Head
photo 40 description 6 -
Try
photo 8 description 3 link 1 -
Trewern
photo 8 description 2 -
Trewern Round
photo 7 description 2 link 2 -
Chypraze
photo 14 forum 1 description 1 -
Kerrowe Menhir
photo 4 description 2 -
Higher Bodinnar Fogou
description 3 -
Crankan courtyard settlement
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Boswens Croft
photo 35 description 2 -
Trye
photo 1 description 1 -
Tremayne
photo 6 description 3 -
Portheras Common Barrow
photo 30 description 3 -
Bosvenning Common
photo 10 description 1 -
Boslow Stone
photo 17 description 2 -
Conquer Downs
photo 10 description 2 -
Wheal Buller Menhir
photo 10 description 3 -
Chy-Gwidden Round
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Giant’s Rock
photo 8 description 3 -
Chysauster Village
photo 81 description 6 link 1 -
Carn Kenidjack
photo 14 description 4 link 2 -
Pendeen Vau
photo 26 forum 1 description 9 -
Tregeseal Holed Stones
photo 56 description 2 -
Botrea Barrows
photo 18 description 1 -
Truthwall Common
photo 42 description 2 -
Carn Bean barrow
photo 4 description 2 -
Foage
photo 5 -
Zennor Quoit
photo 92 forum 3 description 14 -
Lower Boscaswell Fogou
photo 15 description 4 -
Tregeseal
photo 104 forum 3 description 19 link 2 -
Higher Botallack
photo 3 description 2 -
Hailglower Farm
photo 1 description 1 -
Sperris Quoit
photo 24 description 3 -
Tonkins Downs
photo 9 -
Sperris Croft
photo 12 description 3 -
Rosemorran
photo 3 description 2 -
Lesingey Round
photo 12 description 1 -
Rosemorran Fogou
description 1 -
Wicca Round
photo 1 description 1 -
Tregeseal Entrance Grave
photo 11 description 1 -
Noon Digery banjo enclosure
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Castle-an-Dinas (Nancledra)
photo 26 description 3 -
Sancreed Beacon
photo 30 description 2 -
Sancreed Holy Well
photo 18 description 13 -
Trendrine Hill
photo 18 description 3 -
Botallack
photo 1 forum 1 description 1 -
Lescudjack Castle
photo 10 forum 1 description 4 -
Boswarthen Holed Stone
photo 3 description 1 -
Caer Bran
photo 24 forum 1 description 3 -
Towednack Double Armed Cross
photo 2 description 2 -
Bartinne Castle Enclosure
photo 11 description 4 -
The Selus Stone
photo 5 description 1 -
Bosworlas Lehau
description 2 -
Carn Euny Fogou & Village
photo 118 forum 2 description 21 link 3 -
St Euny’s Well
photo 22 description 5 -
Drift Stones
photo 36 description 10 link 1 -
The Blind Fiddler
photo 55 description 9 -
Goldherring
photo 9 description 1 -
Ennis Farm
description 1 -
Numphra
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Tom Thumb Rock
photo 3 description 2 link 1 -
Faugan Round
photo 8 forum 1 description 1 link 1 -
Brane
photo 30 description 9 -
Tresvennack Pillar
photo 12 description 1 -
Boscawen-Un hedge
photo 11 description 6 -
Kenidjack Castle
photo 29 description 4 -
Tredinney Barrow
photo 19 description 1 -
Brane Long Barrow
photo 7 description 3 -
Kenidjack Cairn Circle
photo 11 description 1 -
Creeg Tol
photo 7 description 5 -
Boscawen Menhir
photo 13 description 2 -
Trink Hill
photo 5 description 4 -
Boscawen-Un (footpath)
photo 3 description 2 -
Boscawen-Ûn
photo 139 forum 6 description 33 link 4 -
Rosewall Hill
photo 6 description 3 -
Kerris
photo 13 description 3 -
Little Brea
photo 2 -
Chyenhal
photo 11 description 2 -
Changwens Menhir
photo 3 description 1 -
Carn Gluze
photo 73 forum 2 description 9 -
Chapel Carn Brea North
photo 13 -
Chapel Carn Brea
photo 57 description 8 link 1 -
Sheffield Menhir
photo 5 description 1 -
Chapel Carn Brea long cairn
photo 13 description 2 -
Cape Cornwall
photo 14 description 2 -
Trelew Menhir
photo 16 description 3 -
Toldavas
photo 7 description 2 link 1 -
Letcha
photo 9 -
Pridden
photo 2 description 2 -
Trencrom Hill Well
photo 3 description 1 -
Redhouse
photo 5 description 2 -
Boscregan
photo 28 description 2 -
Paul Celtic Cross
photo 2 description 1 -
Nanjulian
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Trencrom Hill
photo 43 description 13 link 1 -
Tregiffian Vean
photo 14 forum 1 description 3 -
Giant’s Well
photo 1 description 1 -
Trevorgans Menhir
photo 17 forum 1 description 3 -
Trevelloe Carn
photo 1 description 2 link 1 -
The Bowl Rock
photo 4 description 4 -
Beersheba
photo 14 description 5 -
Castallack Round
photo 5 description 3 -
Castallack Carn
photo 6 description 2 -
Boleigh Fogou
photo 48 forum 4 description 16 link 2 -
Castallack
photo 7 description 2 -
Castallack 2
photo 6 description 2 -
St. Michael’s Mount
photo 17 forum 1 description 10 -
Merlin’s Rock and the Mousehole
description 1 -
Escalls Cliff
photo 11 description 2 -
The Pipers (Boleigh)
photo 83 description 9 -
Swingate
photo 9 description 3 -
Carbis Bay Longstone
photo 5 description 4 -
The Merry Maidens
photo 125 forum 2 description 30 link 1 -
Alsia Holy Well
photo 7 description 5 -
Gun Rith Menhir
photo 34 forum 2 description 10 -
Tregiffian
photo 61 description 14 -
Choone
photo 6 description 4 -
Trevear
description 1 -
Kemyel
photo 5 description 3 -
Kemyel 2
photo 3 description 1 -
The Fairy Well
photo 6 description 3 -
Boscawen-Ros
photo 24 description 4 -
Treverven
photo 25 description 3 -
Table Mên
photo 1 description 2 -
Mayon Standing Stone
photo 3 description 1 -
Mayon Cliff
photo 28 description 4 -
Sennen
photo 2 description 3 -
Maen Castle
photo 42 description 3 link 1 -
Treveneague Fogou
forum 1 description 2 -
Carnsew
photo 9 -
St Erth Round
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Treryn Dinas
photo 49 forum 1 description 15 link 1 -
Pordenack Point
photo 18 description 2 -
St. Levan’s Stone
photo 9 description 5 -
Carn Les Boel
photo 25 description 3 link 1 -
St. Levan’s Well
photo 7 description 1 -
Cudden Point
photo 1 description 1 -
Roskestal West Cliff
description 1 -
Phillack Towans
photo 4 description 1 -
Castle Kayle
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Godolphin Hill
photo 6 description 1 link 1 -
Godrevy Barrow
photo 17 forum 1 description 3 -
Connor Downs
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Castle Pencaire
photo 25 forum 1 description 3 -
Tregonning Hill
photo 11 -
Gear Round
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Trewavas Cliff
photo 14 description 3 -
Camel Rock
photo 5 description 1 -
Hudder Down
photo 10 description 1