Eathorne Menhir

Nearest town:
Penryn (4km N)
OS reference:
SW746313
OS sheet:
204
Latitude:
50° 8' 17.58 N
Longitude:
5° 9' 17.06 W
Added to TMA by

Images

Image of Eathorne Menhir by markj99

Broken Top of Eathorne Standing Stone viewed from NE.

Image credit: Mark Johnstone
markj99
markj99 Apr 11, 2026
Image of Eathorne Menhir by The Werg

The menhir concerned originally sat in a field, and then was removed by the farmer (which broke over a foot off the top of the stone) and dumped nearby in the field perimeter; upon the intervention of Cornwall Archaeology, it was re-erected in the field boundary. Subsequently, the farmer then enclosed the menhir with 3 stakes & barbed wire, and wrapped the circa 8ft stone from bottom to near top in chicken wire. When I visited, I eventually found this stone wrapped in ivy, brambles,
nettles etc etc etc. The ivy interlocks the chicken mesh solidly to the
stone’s surface. It is in a sorry state.

Image credit: The Werg
T
The Werg May 6, 2003

Articles

Eathorne Menhir

Erection Surprise!

Mr Hamhead
Mr Hamhead Sep 28, 2006

Following on from the news last year (spookily I posted it exactly a year ago) that the stone had been re-erected, I have just read in the Cornish Archaeological Society newsletter that the experts have done some dating on charcoal samples found in the original socket hole. These have found that the stone was probably erected between AD70 and AD240..a long time after they thought..somewhere between 1000BC and 3000BC.

There is always the possibility that it had been re-erected at that time, which raises interesting issues of attitudes to ancient monuments in the distant past writes Steve Hartgroves of Cornwall Historical Enviromental team.

Eathorne Menhir

Menhir now back in original position

Mr Hamhead
Mr Hamhead Sep 28, 2005

The latest newsletter of the Cornwall Archaeological Society brings news that the Eathorn Menhir, long stuck at the side of a field and covered in ivy and chicken wire, has now been re-erected in its original position.
With the help of Steve Hartgroves of CAU and the Earth Mysteries Group the original base was found and the stone placed back in it using a local farmers crane.
Sadly this news came 24 hours too late for me...I was down on the Lizard yesterday and if I had known would have popped round for a photo.

Eathorne Menhir

markj99
markj99 Apr 11, 2026

Visited 30.03.26

Eathorne Menhir has been re-erected in a small campsite c. 50 yards NE of Eathorne Farm on a minor road between Penryn & Gweek. The new location is SW 7460 3136. The standing stone has sustained damage in its travels: the top of the stone has broken off leaving a jagged edge. Despite this the stone is still impressive reaching up to c. 8 feet.
There is room to park carefully as the road widens just beyond the gateway to the campsite.

Miscellaneous

Eathorne Menhir
Standing Stone / Menhir
pure joy
pure joy Mar 13, 2003

Craig Weatherhill’s ‘Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall and Scilly’ (Cornwall Books – 1985, revised 1997 & 2000) gives this only a brief mention, but does include a photo. The text says “In a field on SE side of the B3291, ¾ mile SW of Treverna and opposite turning of lane leading to Longdowns. A fine but little known Bronze Age menhir, 2.4m tall. Slim and regular in shape but with a curiously bent top, it is of local granite”

However at sometime the stone ‘fell’. The stone was re-erected on 3rd October 1992, during ‘Archaeology Alive Week’ by members of the Cornwall Archaeological Unit, the Cornwall Archaeological Society, and staff of Treidy Country Park. The CAU’s Review of 1992-3 comments that “the stone, which had been taken down by the farmer, is now near but not in, its original position”.

Topics

Some happy news 2
ShropshireTraveller
ShropshireTraveller
Aug 2005

Sites within 20km of Eathorne Menhir