Leskernick Hill

Also known as:
Leskernick Propped Stone and Leskernick Quoit
Nearest town:
Hallworthy (8km NNW)
OS reference:
SX183802
OS sheet:
201
Latitude:
50° 35' 33.38 N
Longitude:
4° 34' 2.78 W
Added to TMA by

Images

Image of Leskernick Hill (Propped stone) by thesweetcheat

Looking east towards the pale blue hills of Dartmoor.

Image credit: A. Brookes (15.6.2022)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat May 26, 2023
Image of Leskernick Hill (Propped stone) by thesweetcheat

The remains of a fine kerb of big slabs around the edge of the large cairn.

Image credit: A. Brookes (15.6.2022)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat May 26, 2023
Image of Leskernick Hill (Propped stone) by thesweetcheat

The centre of the large cairn, looking towards Brown Willy, with Roughtor peeking over the ridge to the right.

Image credit: A. Brookes (15.6.2022)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat May 26, 2023
Image of Leskernick Hill (Propped stone) by thesweetcheat

The large cairn, looking north with Buttern Hill on the left and Bray Down on the right, both with their own fine cairns.

Image credit: A. Brookes (15.6.2022)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat May 26, 2023
Image of Leskernick Hill (Propped stone) by thesweetcheat

Smaller cairn to the south of the main cairn, which can be seen beyond.

Image credit: A. Brookes (15.6.2022)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat May 26, 2023
Image of Leskernick Hill (Propped stone) by Crazylegs14
Image credit: Leskernick Hill-Tim Knight-Secret Landscape Photography
Crazylegs14
Crazylegs14 Oct 23, 2015
Image of Leskernick Hill (Propped stone) by pure joy

In a stroke of genius I booked another week in Cornwall for the week the clocks change, and a week of stunning weather! It is early April and Bodmin Moor is tinder dry. Just before I arrived there had been several small fires in North Cornwall nd the day I left there was a large gorse fire at the other end of Cornwall (on the Lizard peninsula).

I stopped off in Dartmoor on the way, the sun was blazing and Fernworthy forest was so peaceful. Although it’s usually only the circle that is talked about Fernworthy is one of these ‘complexs’ with a stone circle , two cairns and cairn circles, two stone rows, and possible others. I was so taken in that I began to think I was an archaeologist for a day and soon I will have to unleash diagrams onto this fantastic TMA site! The south side of the forest also has a stone row. And a brisk walk onto the moor brings you to the Greywethers, a restored and stunning double circle. I also tried to find the Heath Stone on the way out. Does visiting ancient sites get much better than today?

On Sunday I went to the St Breock Downs area, checking out the St Breock Wind Farm Barrow, the colossal Men Gurta Menhir, and peering at the St. Breock Downs Menhir. I then moved south to the China Clay country (sounds like a theme park) to find the moved Menevagar / Roche Longstone and the huge Hensbarrow – this is the highest natural point in the area and the views back across the valley are stunning, with the St Breock Downs wind farm clearly visible. However, if you ignore the nice bit of the view you could just as easily think you are sitting on the moon as the clay works surround you. To round off a pretty lazy day I visited the two sites closest to where I was staying – Headon Barrow and Warbstow Bury, the later being quite stunning and the best-preserved hill slope fort in Cornwall.

On Monday I pleasured myself (steady on!) with a trip to the St.Austell Brewery – staustellbrewery.co.uk – and onto Mevagissey for sarnies on the harbour. I had forgotten my maps so instead of heading off for some yomping on Bodmin Moor I had to pull Plan B out, which was a visit to The County Museum in Truro – royalcornwallmuseum.org.uk – I knew that the famed cup marked stone from the Tregiffian Burial Chamber was there, as was a copy of the Rillaton Cup, and other things. There is a huge amount to see and as they are a registered charity it is £4 well spent (and please fill out a Gift Aid form, so they can reclaim your tax!)

Tuesday led me on a huge barrow hunt, including the massive Tich Barrow, one of the Starapark Barrows, the Advent Triple Barrow (a rarity), and the Crowdy Reservoir Barrow and then several wind swept hours in the Roughtor area, including the Showery Tor ring cairn and cheesewring, and the Showery Tor Embanked Avenue, the Showery Tor Downs Cairn, Roughtor Slopes Cairn and three possible standing stones in the area. In an action packed day I also went to the fascinating King Arthur’s Hall, , the nearby King Arthur’s Downs Stone Circles, the Casehill Cairn, and explored around the area; expect a diagram soon! On the way home I had a quick stop at Helsbury Castle.

Like it or loathe it I thought The Museum of Witchcraft – museumofwitchcraft.com – was worth a visit so the next day I went to see it in Boscastle’s picturesque harbour. I was glad to see the Museum asking people not to have fires, leave rubbish or ‘inappropriate offerings’ at ancient sites. Later I visited three great cliff castle’s close by – Willabury Cliff Castle (Boscastle) plus the fascinating ‘stitch’ system of agriculture on Forrabury Common, Willabury Cliff Castle (Tintagel), and Tintagel itself. I also saw the curious Rocky Valley Rock Carvings but I’m even less convinced now. I had a quick search for Ugworthy Barrows (actually over the border in Devon) and the rare Woolley Long Barrow.

I really don’t seem to have got the hang of these ‘holidays’ have I? Not much resting going on, so I only went out on the moors late on Thursday, and spent some of Friday re-reading one of favourite books on the beach at Crackington Haven (‘Life and Times of Michael K’ by J.M.Coetzee if anyone is interested).

So several hours on Thursday were spent on Fox Tor & East Moor and in the Leskernick area of Bodmin Moor. Two totally different environments in one way (the former gorsey and brown, the later green but scarred and pitted like the moon) separated by the A30 but both full of ancient sites, and continued finds. East Moor includes the Fox Tor Stone Row (apparently), the East Moor Stone Row, and possible Menhir / Stone setting, and the Nine Stones of Altarnun. The Leskernick area is still being explored and new things still being found. My few hours included Leskernick Stone Row, a cairn near the stone row, Leskernick Stone Circel (Northern), Leskernick Stone Circle (South), the Leskernick ‘Quoit’, the Cairns on the summit of The Beacon, and a possible Kerbed Cairn and Barrow Cemetery on The Beacon

Image credit: martin bull
pure joy
pure joy Jun 6, 2003
Image of Leskernick Hill (Propped stone) by pure joy

In a stroke of genius I booked another week in Cornwall for the week the clocks change, and a week of stunning weather! It is early April and Bodmin Moor is tinder dry. Just before I arrived there had been several small fires in North Cornwall nd the day I left there was a large gorse fire at the other end of Cornwall (on the Lizard peninsula).

I stopped off in Dartmoor on the way, the sun was blazing and Fernworthy forest was so peaceful. Although it’s usually only the circle that is talked about Fernworthy is one of these ‘complexs’ with a stone circle , two cairns and cairn circles, two stone rows, and possible others. I was so taken in that I began to think I was an archaeologist for a day and soon I will have to unleash diagrams onto this fantastic TMA site! The south side of the forest also has a stone row. And a brisk walk onto the moor brings you to the Greywethers, a restored and stunning double circle. I also tried to find the Heath Stone on the way out. Does visiting ancient sites get much better than today?

On Sunday I went to the St Breock Downs area, checking out the St Breock Wind Farm Barrow, the colossal Men Gurta Menhir, and peering at the St. Breock Downs Menhir. I then moved south to the China Clay country (sounds like a theme park) to find the moved Menevagar / Roche Longstone and the huge Hensbarrow – this is the highest natural point in the area and the views back across the valley are stunning, with the St Breock Downs wind farm clearly visible. However, if you ignore the nice bit of the view you could just as easily think you are sitting on the moon as the clay works surround you. To round off a pretty lazy day I visited the two sites closest to where I was staying – Headon Barrow and Warbstow Bury, the later being quite stunning and the best-preserved hill slope fort in Cornwall.

On Monday I pleasured myself (steady on!) with a trip to the St.Austell Brewery – staustellbrewery.co.uk – and onto Mevagissey for sarnies on the harbour. I had forgotten my maps so instead of heading off for some yomping on Bodmin Moor I had to pull Plan B out, which was a visit to The County Museum in Truro – royalcornwallmuseum.org.uk – I knew that the famed cup marked stone from the Tregiffian Burial Chamber was there, as was a copy of the Rillaton Cup, and other things. There is a huge amount to see and as they are a registered charity it is £4 well spent (and please fill out a Gift Aid form, so they can reclaim your tax!)

Tuesday led me on a huge barrow hunt, including the massive Tich Barrow, one of the Starapark Barrows, the Advent Triple Barrow (a rarity), and the Crowdy Reservoir Barrow and then several wind swept hours in the Roughtor area, including the Showery Tor ring cairn and cheesewring, and the Showery Tor Embanked Avenue, the Showery Tor Downs Cairn, Roughtor Slopes Cairn and three possible standing stones in the area. In an action packed day I also went to the fascinating King Arthur’s Hall, , the nearby King Arthur’s Downs Stone Circles, the Casehill Cairn, and explored around the area; expect a diagram soon! On the way home I had a quick stop at Helsbury Castle.

Like it or loathe it I thought The Museum of Witchcraft – museumofwitchcraft.com – was worth a visit so the next day I went to see it in Boscastle’s picturesque harbour. I was glad to see the Museum asking people not to have fires, leave rubbish or ‘inappropriate offerings’ at ancient sites. Later I visited three great cliff castle’s close by – Willabury Cliff Castle (Boscastle) plus the fascinating ‘stitch’ system of agriculture on Forrabury Common, Willabury Cliff Castle (Tintagel), and Tintagel itself. I also saw the curious Rocky Valley Rock Carvings but I’m even less convinced now. I had a quick search for Ugworthy Barrows (actually over the border in Devon) and the rare Woolley Long Barrow.

I really don’t seem to have got the hang of these ‘holidays’ have I? Not much resting going on, so I only went out on the moors late on Thursday, and spent some of Friday re-reading one of favourite books on the beach at Crackington Haven (‘Life and Times of Michael K’ by J.M.Coetzee if anyone is interested).

So several hours on Thursday were spent on Fox Tor & East Moor and in the Leskernick area of Bodmin Moor. Two totally different environments in one way (the former gorsey and brown, the later green but scarred and pitted like the moon) separated by the A30 but both full of ancient sites, and continued finds. East Moor includes the Fox Tor Stone Row (apparently), the East Moor Stone Row, and possible Menhir / Stone setting, and the Nine Stones of Altarnun. The Leskernick area is still being explored and new things still being found. My few hours included Leskernick Stone Row, a cairn near the stone row, Leskernick Stone Circel (Northern), Leskernick Stone Circle (South), the Leskernick ‘Quoit’, the Cairns on the summit of The Beacon, and a possible Kerbed Cairn and Barrow Cemetery on The Beacon

Image credit: martin bull
pure joy
pure joy Jun 6, 2003

Articles

Leskernick Hill

Mr Hamhead
Mr Hamhead Mar 31, 2008

The most northerly of the interesting features on the hill, the summit cairn is a jumbled assortment of rocks with one stone standing proud.

Leskernick Hill

Mr Hamhead
Mr Hamhead Aug 7, 2004

Is it or isn’t it?

On a hillside littered with stones we have to take the experts view and say it is.

The “quoit” is to be found on the upper west part of Leskernick Hill, slightly away from the main settlement remains.

Although Leskernick is a bit of a hike to get to it is worth it, space, peace and just so much history.

Miscellaneous

Leskernick Hill
Propped stone
pure joy
pure joy Apr 27, 2003

I first saw the quoit mentioned in the Cornwall Archaeological Unit’s Review of 1995-6, which had an article called ‘Leskernick Summer Solstice Alignment’ that reported “an arrangement of stones, at first sight a natural feature, on a small tor over looking the moorland River Fowey and with beautiful views across to brown Willy and Roughtor, was on closer inspection shown to be a created feature. It was first recognised by Peter Herring and Tony Blackman on a field trip in April 1995. On the same field trip a long mound was found nearly a kilometre away on Beacon Hill (SX19037955). Both features had an early prehistoric feel, one like a ‘quoit’, the other like a long cairn. It was suddenly noticed that the long mound’s axis pointed towards the quoit which was now a skyline feature on Leskernick Hill. Furthermore the alignment was noted by Chris Riding to be at roughly 315o, close to the summer solstice sunset.

A group of people consequently gathered at the long mound on the 21st June when the sky was fortunately clear and saw the sun set just to the east of the quoit. At first disappointed, the group then realised that the error might be chronologically significant, in that the world’s wobbling may have been its cause.

The two sites were then accurately mapped (to within a few centimetres) using an Electronic Distance Meter…. Their results were passed to Bernard Yallop, Superintendent of her Majesty’s Nautical Almanac Office who was able to calculate when the two sites would have been aligned with the summer solstice sunset. He offered three dates, depending on whether people were viewing the top, middle or bottom of the setting sun, of 1400 BC, 3687 BC or 7627 BC respectively.

Clearly the middle of the sun, 3687 BC, or Early Neolithic, fits most neatly with the shapes of the monuments.

It was clear that other prehistoric features were set up in relation to both the alignment (a stone circle and a barrow are on the line, between the long mound and the quoit) and the quoit (a fine hut settlement in dense clitter on Leskernick’s western slopes appears to refer to the quoit which is the dominant skyline feature above it).

A team from University College, London is currently carrying out research on and around Leskernick, examining how prehistoric people perceived and reacted to the natural and created landscape. Led by Chris Tilley, Barbara Bender and Sue Hamilton, it promises to add considerably to our knowledge and thinking about this important landscape. The newly discovered quoit and long mound and their significant alignment demonstrate that much of significance awaits discovery”

If you fancy buying a copy of the Cornwall Archaeological Unit’s Review of 1995-6, called ‘Archaeology Alive No 4’, check out the CAU’s website, which I added a while ago on the ‘Links’ page. It is currently being flogged off cheap at £1.

Sites within 20km of Leskernick Hill

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