The Portable Antiquities Scheme is a voluntary recording scheme for archaeological objects found by members of the public. Every year many thousands of objects are discovered, many of these by metal detector users, but also by people whilst out walking, gardening or going about their daily work.
Publishers of (amongst other things) a series of small, inexpensive and ‘popular’ books about Cornwall, including archeolgical heritage, railways, and mining. Good starter books.
Chysauster Settlement – 27.12.2002
Approaching from the North, Chysauster was signposted from the road, just North of Newmills (approx SW458344), but it’s not a brown tourist sign. This lane to Chysauster is extremely narrow and includes numerous totally blind corners – probably the most dangerous lane I travelled on in a week in Cornwall.
A car park is situated at approx SW470347, complete with sparkling new toilet block. It’s a short walk up to the entrance kiosk, 2 fields away. It’s then another short walk up to the main settlement. I’m a bit confused as to their opening policy. In 2002 it was advertised as open from 10am – 6pm between 24 Mar & 30 Sept and then 10am – 5pm in October. At other times of the year it seems to just be sort of open anyway. When there is someone there to take money its is £1.80 for adults, 90p for kids, £1.40 for Concessions and free for English Heritage members. The Head Custodian is available on 07831 757934.
The village itself is excellent but I could imagine it might be a bit impersonal on a touristy hot summers day. Thankfully not even the amazing ineptitude of English Heritage can ruin the spirit of this fascinating settlement.
What is English Heritage trying to do to this place? Do they expect this place to become a huge tourist trap despite the fact that there is only room for about 7 cars to park and the narrow lanes are pretty dangerous? The website says it will take 2 coaches, so I guess they are more confident than me about a coach getting through the lanes into the small car park! Why fill in the fogou with earth and stick big bars across its entrance “for safety reasons”. And why stick a garish wooden shed and picnic table high up on the South East edge of the site? And why erect an info board that says “ the village appears to have been built in the Roman period between the 1st and 3rd Centuries AD”, totally denying its Pre-Roman reality. Cornish expert Craig Weatherhill says, “It has been suggested by some that courtyard houses were native imitations of Roman dwellings, but it is clear that Chysuaster was built before the Romans ever came to Britain, perhaps as early as 100BC. There is no sign of any Roman influence….”.
Presumably the treatment of this fascinating settlement has got worse in recent years. In Weatherhill’s 1981 book ‘Belerion: Ancient Sites of Land’s End’ (Cornwall Books) he describes the site as “beautifully maintained by the Dept of the Environment”. By the time of the 1997/2000 updates to his other book ‘Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall and Scilly’ he comments that “recently ‘English’ Heritage, the supposed custodians of the site, made the outrageous decision to infill the fogou rather than effect repairs to an unstable roofing stone, despite assurance to the contrary. The passage can no longer be seen but the face of the outer roofing slab is visible”. The fogou now has a nasty set of railings over its entrance.
Don’t miss the sexy walled pathway on the North side of the field (i.e. as far away from the entrance hut as possible), which leads up to the houses.
This website calls this ‘Nine Maidens Stone Circle’, but Craig Weatherhill’s 1981 book ‘Belerion: Ancient Sites of Land’s End’ (Cornwall Books) and Aubrey Burl’s ‘Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland and Brittany’ (1995) both call this ‘Wendron Stone Circle’.
Nice little site that includes information about the books available from Men-an-tol Studio, including all of Ian McNeil Cooke’s books, and reprints of two 19th century antiquarian books, ‘Illustrations Of Stone Circles, Cromlehs and other remains of the Aboriginal Britons in the West of Cornwall’ by William Cotton (1827), and ‘Specimens Of Ancient Cornish Crosses, Fonts, Etc’ by F.C.Hingston (1850). Includes an order form for publications and details of how to order over the phone.
Nine Maidens of Boskednan – 27.12.2002
After some torrential rain over night this really was a sodden trek for me! I parked at quite a big lay-by at the old Carn Galver Mine (SW421364) and walked up the road for a very short distance to get to a track that leads up past Carn Galver and on towards the Nine Maidens of Boskednan. The path up past Carn Galver is not a proper big track/4x4 road like the OS map suggests; it’s actually a small path that had become a fast running stream the day I visited!
It was worth it though. The Nine Maidens of Boskednan, and the surrounding antiquities, are lovely, but hiding in gorse and swamps. The view all around is pretty stunning. I actually counted 10 stones in the circle: 4 standing; 4 on an angle; and 2 on the ground including a very tiny one just sticking through near the two stones that are very close together on the North side.
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.
Men-an-tol – 27.12.2002
Despite it getting late and have to brave the aftermath of last nights torrential rain which resulted in mud baths and streams were footpaths should be, I just had to see Men-an-tol. It’s just one of those ‘must see’ sites that you’ve seen a million times in books and on postcards. It is actually signposted from the main track close to it, and it proved to be as strange and enigmatic as I expected. I can well believe that in the summer truckloads of people come to look at the site because this is one of the most famous ancient sites in England.
I had come up via Carn Galver and the Nine Maidens. I think it’s fair to say that the other way is probably the easier and more normal route, especially without a map. Men-an-Tol is actually signposted from the main Trevowhan to Madron road (at approx SW418347), and has a lay-by to accommodate about 4 cars.
Lanyon Quoit ? 27.12.2002
As this is right next to the main road and in the care of the National Trust I expected a huge neon signs above it and a pay and display car park. But actually it is very subtle and very low key (and very fitting), with just a make shift lay-by next to it and small plaque set in the field wall near a stone stile that leads into the field. The plaque reads “Lanyon Quoit – Given to the National Trust by Sir Edward Bolitho of Tiengwainion in 1952”. After the enormity of Trethevy Quoit this looks positively tiny, like it?s from the model village at Polperro, or Legoland in Windsor. Strange.
Mulfra Quoit – 27.12.2002
The Eastside of Mulfra Hill was seriously overgrown when I tried to visit. I couldn’t find the Public Footpath marked on the map (from the road, at approx 454356) that should lead up to the Quoit, nor any other path up the hill. The brambles and undergrowth were ferocious. Bummer. I’ll try again another day and maybe another path…don’t know when…..some sunny day…..(I feel a song coming on).
After Mulfra I got hideously lost amongst the roads. I really feel like I’m losing my mind, going up and down the same roads. Is someone trying to tell me something?
Swingate menhir
SW457252 – A triangular shaped 2m tall stone in a field North of Kemyel Crease. One of several possible menhirs (or cattle rubbing posts?) in the area
Kemyel menhir
SW457247 – A 1.85m triangular shaped stone, one of several possible small menhirs in the locality. Not marked on the OS map.
Home to Devon Books, who publish Jeremy Butler’s monumental 5 volume ‘Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities’. Also home to Cornwall Books who have published local classics such as Craig Weatherhill two field guides – ‘Belerion: Ancient Sites of Land’s End’ – 1981, and ‘Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall and Scilly’ – 1985, revised 1997 & 2000. Couldn’t see those two for sale though. Free Postage and packing on internet orders.
The Pipers – 23.12.2002
These huge stones can be seen from the B3315 road. No official public footpaths close by. Presumably on the land of Boleigh Farm.
Castallack menhir
SW454255 – Stands in a field close to the minor road from Castallack to Sheffield. This 1.55m tall menhir is apparently notable for a line of 7 cupmarks, with 2 more below that. Not marked on the OS map.
Redhouse menhirs
SW448266 & 447267 – A pair of possible small menhirs (1.75 and 1.9m tall) stand in adjacent fields. On the Explorer map 102 you can see the ‘dots’ of the stones but it doesn’t actually say ‘standing stones’. On private land.
Sheffield menhir
SW459275 – Ian McNeil Cooke says that “a 2.45m triangular shaped possible menhir was discovered in 1984” (’Standing Stones of the Land’s End’ – 1998 – Men-an-Tol Studio). Not marked on the OS map.
Chyenhal menhir
SW451275 – 2.6m tall menhir re-erected early in the 19th Century. 2 more stones once stood in the next field but have now disappeared. On private land, presumably that of Chyenhal Farm.
Tresvennack Pillar menhir
SW442279 – Considered by Craig Weatherhill (in ‘Belerion: Ancient Sites of Land’s End’ – Cornwall Books – 1981) to be one of the finest Cornish menhirs, this stone is 3.5m tall and set 1.2m into the ground. On private land, presumably that of Tresvennack Farm.
It was excavated by the farmer in 1840 who discovered a large stone slab, covering a pit, buried 60cm to the south of the stone. The pit contained 2 middle Bronze Age urns, one of which was extremely large and held cremated human bones. Ash and cremated remains were scattered throughout the pit. A smaller urn contained a powdery substance. Both urns can apparently be seen in the museum at Penlee House, Penzance.
Kerrow menhir
SW452373 – I didn’t have chance to visit this but it’s mentioned in both Ian McNeil Cooke’s ‘Standing Stones of the Land’s End’ (1998 – Men-an-Tol Studio) and Craig Weatherhill’s ‘Belerion: Ancient Sites of Land’s End’ (Cornwall Books – 1981). A thick stout menhir 1.9/1.75m tall (accounts vary) stands in rough ground, and was excavated in 1935 by the West Cornwall Field Club. Near its foot two late Bronze Age urns (c1300-1000 BC) were uncovered, one placed inside the other on the East side of the stone on a small heap of charcoal, but no sign of cremation. Close by were traces of a late Bronze Age & early Iron Age settlement, of which two hut circles, along with their associated system of terraced fields, can still be seen. On private land.
Porthmeor menhir
SW432372 – Ian McNeil Cooke’s ‘Standing Stones of the Land’s End’ (1998 – Men-an-Tol Studio) says “stands in mid-field by footpath; excavated in 1879 but no finds. There are confused records indicating that the present stone may be a replacement for one broken up for
road building about two centuries ago”. 2.1m tall.
Trevear menhir
Somewhere close to SW368260 – Ian McNeil Cooke’s ‘Standing Stones of the Land’s End’ (1998 – Men-an-Tol Studio) says “uprooted possible triangular shaped menhir 1.5m high formerly at 368260, now lying in the corner of a field near the roadside”. Not marked on the OS map.
Sennen menhir
SW354256 – A 2.45m tall menhir stands in a hedge South West of Sennen Parish Church well away from any other menhirs. Probably the most Westerly ancient monument in mainland Britain.
Trevolhan menhir
SW409351 – Still marked on the OS map but Ian McNeil Cooke’s ‘Standing Stones of the Land’s End’ (1998 – Men-an-Tol Studio) says “A possible menhir [1.65m tall] was destroyed c1982”.
Watch Croft menhir
SW421357 – A slightly leaning 1.8m menhir, close to a triangulation pillar marking the highest point on the peninsula (252 metres). No finds or alignments have been recorded.
Tremayne menhir
SW430314 – Ian McNeil Cooke’s ‘Standing Stones of the Land’s End’ (1998 – Men-an-Tol Studio) says “one stone of a former pair set NE/SW about 10 feet apart in a field behind [Tremayne] Farm; examined by Dr.Borlase in 1752 who found a pit ‘full of black earth’ between the stones but no remains; the paired stone was destroyed about 1900”. Stands 1.9m tall. On private land. Very close to the A3071.
Kerrow Bosullow menhir
SW414342 – Mentioned in Ian McNeil Cooke’s ‘Standing Stones of the Land’s End’ (1998 – Men-an-Tol Studio) but not marked on the OS map. A 2.1m tall menhir apparently in a hedge on the far side of a field next to the road. 3 hedges formerly met at this spot. On private land.
Trewern menhir
SW432320 – One of a former pair of menhirs (the other was destroyed circa 1958) standing close to Trewern Round an Iron Age mound. Stands 1.9m tall. On private land.
Carbis Bay menhir
SW530382 – Ian McNeil Cooke’s ‘Standing Stones of the Land’s End’ (1998 – Men-an-Tol Studio) says “this somewhat misnamed longstone, a cut down stump with drill marks on one side, stands by a bus stop on the St.Ives road and gave its name to the locality”. It’s now about 1.5 m tall and stands on the Southern outskirts of Carbis Bay.
The other stone that Windago mentions below (approx SW525372) is called the Beersheba menhir, and I’ve added it as a site
Beersheba menhir
SW525371 – A 3/3.2m tall menhir (accounts vary). No excavations have taken place. Close to St Michael’s way footpath. Locally known as The Longstone.
Try menhir
SW460350 – I didn’t have chance to visit this but it’s mentioned in both Ian McNeil Cooke’s ‘Standing Stones of the Land’s End’ (1998 – Men-an-Tol Studio) and Craig Weatherhill’s ‘Belerion: Ancient Sites of Land’s End’ (Cornwall Books – 1981). This 2.55/2.7m tall menhir (accounts vary) was excavated in 1958 and 1962 by Vivien Russell and Peter Pool. A stone cist with a massive capstone was found buried near the foot of the stone. Originally covered by a small cairn the cist contained a ‘Handled A’ beaker, various fragments of pottery, fragments of burnt bones, and two unburnt long bones. Around the cist were scattered shards and flints, and a saddle quern was also uncovered. The beaker can be seen in the County Museum in Truro.
Carfury menhir
SW440340 – I didn’t have chance to visit this but it’s mentioned in both Ian McNeil Cooke’s ‘Standing Stones of the Land’s End’ (1998 – Men-an-Tol Studio) and Craig Weatherhill’s ‘Belerion: Ancient Sites of Land’s End’ (Cornwall Books – 1981) as a little known and apparently
superb 3m tall menhir standing on a steep rough hillside with its base embedded in a low and ancient wall. The ground around its foot was excavated in 1958 by Vivien Russell and Peter Pool but nothing was found. Formerly known as the Cuckoo Rock.
Fernacre Stone Circle – 26.12.2002
From Louden Hill Stone Circle, Fernacre Circle is a pleasant 1½ km walk East. However, on a clear day Fernacre Stone Circle can be seen from quite a distance, and that distance doesn’t seem to get much shorter despite vigorous walking!
Once I finally got to Fernacre it just re-enforced what a fascinating area this is – 3 stone circles, Rough Tor, settlements, huts, cairns, a cist....the lot! I counted 59 stones, again rather more than Craig Weatherhill in ‘Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall and Scilly’ – Cornwall Books – 1985, revised 1997 & 2000) and The Modern Antiquarian who both count 52, but rather less than Aubrey Burl in his ‘Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland and Brittany’ (1995), who counts “over 70”. There also seems to be quite a strong ditch/dyke about 40 metres South West of this lovely circle.
As I was leaving the circle I heard a very strange noise, like a moan. With no one else around this entire area this was rather spooky. Logic says it was either a ‘moo’ carried by the wind from one of the cows about 600 metres away, or my shoe squelching as I turned to leave the circle. But sometimes it would be nice to think that for some things in life there are no logical explanations.......
Louden Hill Cist and Cairns – 26.12.2002
Between the Louden Hill and Fernacre Stone Circles there are some interesting cairns to the South of the track. One is totally exposed with the remnants of a cist (map ref approx SX138797) and several standing and recumbent stones around it. After exploring this I walked West and found a cairn about 100 metres away. Then I walked about 7 metres further to the West to some more stones, turned around and found that all of these were aligned to a stone in the background. Within a few degrees this alignment was exactly East-West. Interesting?
Louden Hill Stone Circle – 26.12.2002
After finally finding this it then made me realise how pathetic my ‘possible circle remains’ looked (see the sub-site I’ve called ‘Louden Hill 2??’). Although this is regarded as a pretty minor circle (it is only mentioned in passing by Aubrey Burl in his ‘Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland and Brittany’ (1995) and was not apparently discovered until 1973) at least it is clearly a fallen circle.
I counted 31 stones, including one double stone and several only just poking through the moor land, but not including probable overgrown stones (humps in the ground), nor possible stones just inside/outside the circle. This is rather strange because Craig Weatherhill counted 16/17 stone in all (see ‘Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall and Scilly’ – Cornwall Books – 1985, revised 1997 & 2000).
Several other stones seem to be scattered outside especially to the East and North East.
Stannon Stone Circle – 26.12.2002
I thought I would visit Stannon, Louden Hill and Fernacre Stone Circles all in one go. I drove up through numerous lanes and parked just before Camperdown Farm. As I walked past the farm entrance there was actually a plaque saying that the rest of the track is for use only by Fernacre Farm (presumably the buildings at SX151798?). A few hundred metres along the track (i.e. to the East) quite a strong grass/mud 4x4 track ran across the moor towards Stannon Stone Circle. This is quite a good marker, especially in bad weather, and neatly skirts around the marshy ground.
Stannon is a really nice circle but it is now slightly out of place next to the HUGE China clay works. I found it very difficult to count the stones! I counted 89, plus 2 inside the circle, 5 just outside the circle and quite a lot further outside the circle, especially to the South West.
Pridden menhir
SW417266 – I didn’t have chance to visit this but it’s mentioned in Ian McNeil Cooke’s ‘Standing Stones of the Land’s End’ (1998 Men-an-Tol Studio) and Craig Weatherhill’s ‘Belerion: Ancient Sites of Land’s End’ (Cornwall Books – 1981) as a strange looking stone, 2.7m tall, now leaning at quite an angle in a field just off of the B3283. W.C.Borlase dug at its base in 1871 and it was possibly destabilised by this excavation and by the removal of an adjacent hedge.
Borlase found that the stone had been set just 15cm into the ground, and he discovered small splinters of cremated human bone and charred wood in a pit covered by a granite slab near the Southern foot of the then upright menhir.
I didn’t have chance to visit this but it is mentioned in Ian McNeil Cooke’s ‘Standing Stones of the Land’s End’ (1998 Men-an-Tol Studio) as a 2.45cm menhir standing in a field. Seems to be close to a country lane.
Toldavas menhir
SW427267 – I didn’t have chance to visit this but Ian McNeil Cooke’s ‘Standing Stones of the Land’s End’ (1998 Men-an-Tol Studio) say that a “large erect boulder, which may be a menhir, stands in a field on an alignment”. Seems to be private land. Not on OS map. Hmmm?
This menhir is not in either Craig Weatherhill’s ‘Belerion: Ancient Sites of Land’s End’ (Cornwall Books – 1981) or in Ian McNeil Cooke’s ‘Standing Stones of the Land’s End’ (1998 Men-an-Tol
Studio), but heh, Cornwall is full of ancient sites. Maybe this is just one that has yet to be realised, or one that has been so messed up through history that it’s hard to be sure what the reality is.
Lesquite Quoit – 26.12.2002
SX071628
This burial chamber is in a field to the North of a country lane that is just West of Tredinnick Farm. The lane is signposted ‘Tredinnick’ from the B3268 below Bodmin, just to the South of where the B3268 crosses over the A30. There is no entrance into the field from the lane so go to the dead end road at SX069627. Opposite the sub-power station a gate leads into the field. As it seemed to be private land and I didn’t have time to find out where to ask I just peered at it from the hedge on the country lane and didn’t actually explore it.
This is what Craig Weatherhill’s excellent book ‘Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall and Scilly’ (Cornwall Books – 1985, revised 1997 & 2000) says about it. “Also known as Lanivet or Trebyan Quoit, the ruined tomb consists of a fallen capstone 5.3m by 2.8m leaning against an upright 1.9m tall. A second upright, at right angles to the first, is 1.7m high and 2.7m long. The capstone could not have been supported by both, which suggests that the original tomb was a fairly complex one. A pipe-laying trench cut just to the South of the remains in 1973 revealed several stone sockets and a post-hole which were possibly connected with the surrounding barrow of which nothing remains. The monument has been in its present condition since at least 1858.”
Craddock Moor Stone Row – 25.12.2002
SX240721 to 241723
I’m not sure if this site has an ‘official’ name so I have simply called it Craddock Moor Stone Row. There’s no easy way to describe how to get to this! A compass bearing from Craddock Moor Stone Circle, or the old quarry track, is about the best you can do.
At some point on your bearing you’ll come across an ancient ditch (marked on the OS map from 241720 to 242723), which reassuringly means you’re getting close. You may be fortunate to find a sort of track that leads down towards a house marked on the map as Lambadla (SX239723).
The North East end of the row terminates around the area of this track. The stones are tiny (most barely 10 to 20cms tall) and not easy to find, but once you find one the row becomes quite apparent as the surrounding area contains few other stones in general. I counted 49
stones in all, including 4 slightly off line, ones barely poking through, and a double stone at the South West end (with another stone only 40cms away). I didn’t count possible other stones around the area, nor what looked to be a type of ‘hook’ at what is probably the North East end, where 2 stones hook around towards the West.
Craddock Moor Stone Circle – 25.12.2002
SX249719
Without a map or compass you may be lucky enough to stagger across this circle 1 km North West of the Hurlers whilst exploring Craddock Moor. Even with a map and compass you may not find them as they all recumbent and are not visible from any distance. Fortunately the bearing I took (from the kink in the old quarry track at SX250720) was suprisingly perfect and I walked straight into the middle of the circle! I counted 17 stones, 18 if you include one slightly outside the circle. Naturally it’s not a massively impressive visual circle but I had at least found it and fulfilled my intention to spend ‘Christmas Day’ on a windy moor looking for ancient sites!
The Hurlers Stone Circles – 25.12.2002
A large car park just South West of Minions leads up to the Hurlers. Lots of walkers and doggy people around, even on ‘Christmas Day’. Not only are the circles fascinating, but the whole place is steeped in history, from the Pipers, Rillaton barrow, the Cheesewring, Stowe’s
Pound tor enclosure, and the Craddock moor sites, to the plethora of old mining ruins.
Stowe’s Pound tor enclosure is just 600 more metres to the North North West of Rillaton Barrow, just beyond the Cheesewring.
Rillaton Barrow – 25.12.2002
Rillaton Barrow is well worth a visit (ref SX260719) when at the Hurlers. It is exactly 500 metres North North East Of the Northern most Hurlers circle, and is the funny looking mound on the brow of the hill. This bowl barrow is just open on its east side. The cist once contained a skeleton lying full length, a bronze grooved ogival dagger, and the famous Rillaton Cup, a handled beaker of corrugated sheet gold, which is similar in style to gold and silver vessels from Mycenae, Greece. Both cup and dagger are in the British Museum but an exact copy of the cup is also in the County Museum in Truro.
The Pipers – 25.12.2002
The Pipers stand to the South West of the Hurlers, apparently a pair of outlying menhirs 3 metres apart, but Craig Weatherhill’s excellent book ‘Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall and Scilly’ (Cornwall Books – 1985, revised 1997 & 2000) says there are doubts about their antiquity. Cornovia says they are 2 metres tall. I measured them both at 165cm. A line of more modern boundary marking stones pass close by to the Pipers.
