The "Great Tomb" is a huge, reconstructed circular passage grave, which includes an unusual blocking-slab separating the roofless passage from the central chamber itself. From here many of the other chambered tombs on the Down can be seen, as can the Deep Point tombs on the headland to the north.
All these tombs are thought to be part of a Bronze Age continuation of a chambered tomb style that begun during the Neolithic, on the mainland in West Penwith. Whether they actually pre- or post-date similar mainland tombs, the Scillonian ones are preserved in much greater numbers, usually in concentrations like this (or at least pairs). All in all, this makes for a hugely rewarding place for the stonehead to visit, particularly when coupled with such lovely surroundings. We confine ourselves to a few of the more obvious tombs ('B', 'C', 'E' and 'G' are all well worth a look) before we head off the Down.
Walk south just beyond the 'show' site, the much-restored Great Tomb on Porth Hellick Down, and you stumble across more lovely chambered cairns in various states of disrepair and size. Moth and me found another four without even trying, though it helped that the gorse and heather was not high. The cairns up here are clear to see along the ridge of the Downs from the vantage point of Salakee Downs, a few 100 metres to the west.
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