#PrehistoryOfPenwith: A Thread

The end of #Cornwall where I live, #Penwith, is incredibly rich in prehistory.

I know very little about our standing stones/circles and fogous so this thread's here for me to learn a bit more and share my photos.

Please contribute!
#megalithic
I'll start things off with Tregeseal East Stone Circle ('The Dancing Stones'). 19 stones, once part of a system of 2 or even 3 circles.

Under Carn Kenidjack 'The Hooting Cairn' with Tregeseal Holed Stones nearby. A fantastic place.

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
#megalithic
Boskednan Circle ('The Nine Maidens')

19 stones, possibly part of the Carn Galver processional route.

Sometimes overlooked due to being near the more famous Mên-an-Tol but one of my favourites. An hour here at dusk, alone, is really very special.

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
Boskednan Menhir

A short walk along the path from Boskednan Stone Circle is this odd triangular stone pointing towards Carn Galver outcrop on the horizon. Part of a burial mound? Roofstone from a tomb? Or a standing stone in its own right?

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
'Women turned to stone for dancing on The Sabbath' is a common folklore theme of #Penwith prehistory. The Sisters (aka Drift Stones) are said to have met this fate for dancing to the tune of The Blind Fiddler in nearby Catchall.

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
#megalithic
Similarly, The Merry Maidens near Lamorna were apparently petrified for dancing with The Pipers, the impressive 4m+ megaliths in a nearby field. As with Tregeseal East above, The Merry Maidens were once accompanied by another stone circle.

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
#megalithic
I think I'm right in saying that Boscawen-Ûn is the only Penwith circle without a petrification story. It's probably my favourite local circle.19 stones in a beautifully secluded little vale. I've watched a Midsummer sunrise here and it was otherworldly.

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
Zennor Quoit, a prehistoric burial chamber is thought to be c.3500 to 4500 years old. Exterior stones may have been used to prop up corpses for disposal by the local wildlife, Tibetan 'Sky Burial' style. Capstone has slipped since the 1769 sketch attached.

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
Tregeseal Holed Stones, near Carn Kenidjack.

5 stones, 4 with holes and 3 seemingly aligned to a nearby barrow. Very close to Tregeseal Stone Circle, cists, entrance graves, the lot. Much speculation on purpose (handfasting?) but nobody's really sure.

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
More photos of Tregeseal Stone Circles. The last one is from the destroyed twin circle that used to be next to the existing one. Now that I know where to look I'll try and find some more stones from this circle- there are 3 or 4 in the hedge, I'm told.

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
Chûn Quoit is in good nick for a burial mound that's c.4000 years old. Old sketches attached show it's not changed much since the 18thC. Surprised the later builders of Chûn Castle didn't rob any of it. Out of respect? Or was the stone still buried then?

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
Boswens Croft Menhir (The Long Stone) from an even earlier era than nearby Chûn Quoit I believe. A fantastically atmospheric spot you can usually have to yourself. I really love this one. 18thc Borlase sketch shows it was part of a cairn once.

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
#megalithic
Almost the #solstice so I popped along to Boscawen-Ûn this evening to see the circle and to find 2 nearby standing stones that I'd never seen before. Pity one of them's now part of a Cornish hedge but the first one seen here is a real beauty.

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
#megalithic
Ruined in the 1960's, Tregeseal West stone circle has some stones remaining in the hedge.

1. Fairly sure of this one.
2. These 2 looked suspiciously large/dumped/not really part of the hedge. (?)
3. Another one?

Feel free to comment / speculate / mock me!

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
The Mên-an-Tol aka The Crick Stone.

Thought to be 3-4000 years old and part of a larger stone circle once.

Cures rickets*, alleviates back pain*, helps you get pregnant*, makes you look a bit stupid when you climb through it**. 😳

*Allegedly
** Confirmed

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
Lanyon Quoit, probably our most dramatic dolmen. Much altered as it was put back up differently after a 19thc storm. c.4-5000 yrs old. Capstone weighs over 14 tons.

A wonderful spot - I had it to myself for half an hour last night as the sun went down.

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
Mên Scryfa.

Inscribed stone that reads "Rialobrani Cunovali fili" or "Royal Raven, Son of Cunoval."

We've Caer Bran (Crow/Raven Fort) nearby so that may be a link. Its age is uncertain but the inscription is thought to be medieval, the stone prehistoric.

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
Watch Croft standing stone sits up on Penwith's highest hill.

1.9m high but I get the feeling the exposed spot has diminished it a bit over the years. Settlements/cairns very close by and Mên-An-Tol, Boskednan stone circle etc all just a few fields away.

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
Chapel Carn Brea, the first and last hill in mainland Britain, has a Neolithic entrance grave under the remains of a medieval chapel, cairns and hut circles. Views as far as The Lizard in one direction, The Isles of Scilly in the other. More ... 👇

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
Fact 1.The Chapel above the entrance grave looked like this. It was home to a hermit who was once reprimanded by the vicar of St Buryan for interfering with the weather. 😎

Fact 2. Chapel Carn Brea is out the back of my house. If you're visiting, I've usually got the kettle on.
The skyline on the moors behind Zennor is dominated by the twin-peaked tor enclosure of Carn Galver. There are some remains of a settlement on it but there's also a school of thought that thinks Carn Galver the objective of an ancient processional route.

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
There are many ancient monuments nearby and Carn Galver is visible from most of them. I walked through some of the stone circles and standing stones to Carn Galver today and followed what I supposed was part of the processional route.

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
The view from the top is stunning.

Was Carn Galver a seat of power? A sacred place? A settlement easy to defend due to the panoramic view? None of the above?

Either way I enjoyed my walk and its connection to our shared past, no matter how tenuous.

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
Boskednan Stone Circle / The Nine Maidens in yesterday's sunshine. Part of the processional route thought to lead to Carn Galver. Pics 2 & 3 taken earlier. The taller stone is quite imposing. I'm about 5'9" and as you can see it's a fair bit taller than me.

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
I came across Treen Standing Stone by accident.

I'd never heard of it but according to the @megportal it is a modern stone possibly erected on the site of an older, fallen stone. There have been plenty destroyed in the last century so nice to see the balance redressed a bit.
Carfury Standing Stone takes a bit of finding/battling through the undergrowth. A 10ft giant though so well worth it. Pretty remote so you're guaranteed to have it to yourself. Lovely peaceful ½ hour up there today.

Thanks to @thesweetcheat
for directions.

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
Tredinney Cairn, just below Chapel Carn Brea on Bartinney Downs. A kerbed cairn/barrow excavated by Borlase (the younger) in 1868 who discovered an urn filled with bones & flint. I've only recently learned about this one. Just out the back of my house.

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
Carn Euny, an Iron Age village of courtyard houses thought to have been occupied intermittently from around 2400 years ago. Courtyard houses unique to Penwith as are fogous, the mysterious underground tunnel that runs through it.👇

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
No-one's really sure why these remarkably well-engineered tunnels crop up at a few of our ancient sites. Shelter? Food storage? Ritual/religious reasons? The Carn Euny fogou has an impressive domed ante-chamber as well as a curved underground passageway.

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
Short of visiting, the best way to get a feel for Carn Euny fogou is with this excellent 3D capture from @Matterport.

#PrehistoryOfPenwith https://matterport.com/3d-space/carn-euny/
Try Menhir is hidden away in a field just off Gear Hill. Close to Mulfra Quoit & the settlements of Mulfra Vean, Chysauster & Bodrifty. Excavated in the 50's and 60's when a cist with an intact beaker & cremated and unburnt bones were discovered.

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
#megalithic
Mulfra Quoit is a Neolithic dolmen similar to Chûn☝️although with a presumably slipped capstone. Fine views to the coast & Carfury Stone☝️can also be seen across the valley to the West. Possibly as much as 4000 years old so in pretty good shape considering.

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
My first visit to Bosullow Trehyllys settlement today. Romano-British courtyard houses (like Carn Euny) so 2nd-4th century AD. Possible remains of a collapsed fogou. Much bigger than I expected. May even have rivaled Chysauster in its day.

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
Some of the outlying stones hint that Bosullow Trehyllys may have been more extensive than the remaining huts. This isn't a great photo but hopefully it gives an idea of the size of the site.

Recently cleared by @PenwithLP I believe, thanks for that.👍

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
Ballowal Barrow/Carn Gluze.

Bronze Age, double-walled with remains of cists and possible graves. Views to Lands End/Scillies. Layout is odd due to some insensitive excavation but as it was lost entirely under mining works for many years I'm not complaining.

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
Trelew Standing Stone is in a field near St Buryan.

A giant! 10 ft or so, I'd imagine. It's a twisted, curved piece of granite so looks very different from each angle.

Cremated remains,calcified bones etc found in a pit nearby by Borlase in the 19thC.

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
Just want to say thanks/give a plug to the @megportal for pointing me in the direction of some of the less well-known stones on this thread. Even I can follow directions as easy as these.

'The Old Stones' is a great book, too.

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
#megalithic
#theoldstones
Lower Boscaswell Fogou isn't as well-preserved as Carn Euny. Sea view though. At least 17 feet of tunnel once. 2 access points left & still big enough to climb into.

What was it for? As with Carn Euny, we can't be sure and I'm perfectly happy with that. 👍

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
Chypraze Barrow was lost to the gorse for years until a fire revealed it. I'd never heard of it but spotted it when walking the SW Coast Path and the @megportal confirmed it. Stone ring with what looked to my untrained eye like a cist inside.

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
The area around the dramatic rock outcrop of Carn Kenidjack is particularly rich in prehistory, even by #Penwith standards. I've been wondering about it being the focal point of a processional route similar to Carn Galver mentioned above. ☝️

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
I've zero evidence for this so please don't quote me but these are the things that preoccupy me as I wander our ancient sites. Portherras Barrow is near the Carn. Central cist with its capstone intact. Stone circles, holed stones and much more all close by.

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
Gun Rith standing stone sometimes gets overlooked due to being so close to the Merry Maidens stone circle. A pity, as it's huge, 11 ft or so. This area was important to our ancestors: The Pipers, Tregiffian Barrow and a possible holed stone all very near.

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
Within sight of Gun Rith and The Merry Maidens is Tregiffian Burial Chamber. Urns discovered here dated at c.4000 years old. The cup-marked stone in Pic 2 is possibly early rock art or even a kind of calendar. Partly destroyed by the road in the 19thC sadly.

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
Boleigh Holed Stone is over the road from the Merry Maidens. As it's being used as a gate post I was unsure if this was ancient at first but a little googling says it's Bronze Age.

The hole looks similarly-sized compared to the Tregeseal stones (Pics 2/3).

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
Tregeseal Barrow is a chambered tomb near Tregeseal Stone Circle/Holed Stones (see above). Surrounded by a mound with some of the kerbstones still in place, it once had a cist in which an intact urn & cremated bones were found. Approx 3-4000 years old.

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
Some #PrehistoryOfPenwith from today's walk. All possibly part of the Carn Galver processional route mentioned upthread ☝️ Muddy underfoot but a beautiful day out there today. ☀️

1. Boskednan Stone Circle (The Nine Maidens)
2. Lanyon Quoit
3. Mên Scryfa
4. Mên-An-Tol
Another sign of the importance of the Carn Galver area to our ancestors is Bosiliack Barrow, a Neolithic entrance grave. Approx. 3-4000 years old. The passage that the people are pointing to in Pic 2 aligns with the rising sun after the Winter Solstice.

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
Chapel Carn Brea Long Cairn is a natural granite outcrop that was extended by 11m by our Neolithic ancestors. Panoramic views to The Scillies one way, The Lizard in the other. Long cairns quite rare in these parts. It catches the evening sun beautifully.

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
Pendeen Vau is a fogou with 17 m or so of tunnel. Two branches, one of which goes into a crawlspace that was partially flooded when I visited. Late Bronze age so roughly 3000 years old. Like all of Penwith's fogous, nobody's really sure of its purpose.

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
In other news, #fogouselfies is now a hashtag, whether you like it or not.

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
#PratsOfPenwith
Wheal Buller Standing Stone is another menhir that looks very different from each angle. Re-erected in the 1980's I believe and now part of a hedge. Not the most atmospheric spot just off the B3318 road but impressive: about 11 ft tall.

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
Some #PrehistoryOfPenwith from today's walk. And a frog, obviously.

1. Tregeseal East Stone Circle
2. Chûn Quoit
3. Chûn Castle
4. Frog/Toad/Thing. Well camouflaged this little fella. I nearly trod on him.
As it's the Winter #Solstice here's some #PrehistoryOfPenwith that aligns with the rising sun.

Carn Euny fogou. Entrance to the tunnel is illuminated at dawn.
Boscawen-Un Stone Circle. Aligns with the sun & the Lamorna Gap.
Bosiliack Barrow.

Happy #Solstice2019 everyone.
Sperris Quoit (The Giants Grave) is in ruins but it may be as much as 7000 years old so that's not surprising. Probably once looked like one of our other local quoits (Pic 4) .

A very peaceful spot for a New Years Day walk today.
#PrehistoryOfPenwith
I drive past The Blind Fiddler, a 3.3m giant, every day on the way to work. At this time of year, my journey home is at dusk so I get treated to this. I don't pull over often enough, I've decided.
#megalithic
#PrehistoryOfPenwith
Penwith's stone circles all have petrification myths: women turned to stone for dancing on the Sabbath. Outlying stones are often fiddlers/pipers supplying the tunes.

Nine Maidens, The Merry Maidens, Boscawen-Ûn & The Dancing Stones.
#PrehistoryOfPenwith
#FolkloreThursday
Goldherring, a walled ancient settlement near Boscawen-Ûn stone circle. Occupied, abandoned & reoccupied for over 13 centuries so some remains are c. 3500 years old, others medieval.

Carn Euny courtyard houses, Caer Bran fort, Bartinney Castle all nearby.

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
The Little Galver propped stones were arranged by our ancestors to make a viewing station framing the larger outcrop of Carn Galver. Climbed into it today as my friend @CarolynKennett thought it aligned with the Equinox sunset. Results pretty conclusive. 👍

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
First time I've ever been involved in a bit of original research so thanks, Carolyn. Absolutely loved it. 👍

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
One more photo from the weekend. The sunset over Carn Galver from inside the Little Galver 'viewing station.'

Spring Equinox Sunset, 21/3/20
6:18pm

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
Bodrifty Settlement may have been inhabited as long as 7000 years ago so may even pre-date Carn Euny/Bosullow Trehyllys mentioned upthread. 8 structures surrounded by a protective wall. Over 3 acres so pretty extensive in its day.

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
Almost every hill in the far West of Penwith has an ancient settlement and Sancreed Beacon is no exception. Cists, hut circles and beautiful views out to Mounts Bay

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
Some #PrehistoryOfPenwith as my contribution to #MuseumsUnlocked

Chûn Quoit
The Mên-An-Tol
Inside Pendeen Vau Fogou
Lanyon Quoit

#megalithic
Some #PrehistoryOfPenwith from today's walk ... and loads of foxgloves.

Chûn Quoit, Tregeseal East Stone Circle, Boswens Menhir ... loads of foxgloves.
This thread's a year old today. It's taken me to 45 ancient sites, covered me in mud, cut me with barbed wire, had me crawling around underground, made me some friends and even got me involved in some original research.

Thanks to all who have contributed. It's been ace.👍
Investigating ancient sites is a glamorous business, as you can see. 🤣
Had Carn Euny ancient village to myself this afternoon. Just me and the foxgloves.

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
... and here's the fogou, the mysterious tunnel/ante-chamber that runs under a chunk of Carn Euny ancient village. Shaky bit of film, sorry. You might want to leave the sound off too - it was blowing a gale above ground. 💨

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
Brea Menhir was apparently destroyed in 1985. This John Michell photo is the only one I've ever seen, although it is still marked on OS maps. A great shame, this, as this is just one field from my house. If anyone knows any more about it, please let me know.

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
Tresvennack Pillar is a giant of a standing stone. 11.5 ft tall in a field near Kerris. Scruffy photo of me shown for scale; lockdown hair and all, sorry. A scheduled monument - 2 urns containing cremated bones were discovered near its base in 1848.

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
Kerris Standing Stone is a big triangular slab of granite just a couple of fields from Tresvennack Pillar (above). There are a few good stones around the St Buryan/Paul/Lamorna area that get a little overlooked. I'll try and visit a few this Summer.

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
Trevorgans Menhir is a lovely standing stone in a peaceful spot near St Buryan. 2.5m / 8 foot or so but often missed as it's set back a little from the St Buryan/Crows-an-Wra road. I've lived here decades and only just found out about it.

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
Some further detail on the missing Chapel Carn Brea Menhir mentioned above. 👆

Drawings from 'The Romance Of The Stones': Robin Payne & Rosemarie Lewsey. Thanks to @CarolynKennett for digging these up. Seems it was destroyed in 1985.

📸Credit: John Michell

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
NO DANCING ON A SUNDAY !

The Merry Maidens, The Nine Maidens, Boscawen Un and The Dancing Stones, Penwith, Cornwall.

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
#FolkloreThursday
Borlase discovered Brane Entrance Grave in 1863 while investigating nearby Carn Euny. It was being used as a pig shed. "The most perfect of its kind in the West of England" he reckoned & I'm not going to disagree. His drawing attached.

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
Hadn't been out Zennor way since lockdown but a tweet from @LeeJPalmer yesterday spurred me into action. That bit of moorland is really special.

Mên Scryfa
The Mên-an-tol
View towards the Atlantic Ocean from Carn Galva.

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
Trewern Standing Stone, a lesser-known but lovely old stone under Trengwainton Carn, nr Madron. Once part of a pair (see 1695 Borlase sketch) with a grave between the two. Possibly a stone row once.

Private land, so please ask for permission at the farm.
#PrehistoryOfPenwith
Near to Sperris Quoit mentioned upthread 👆is Sperris Croft ancient village. 7 hut circles on a high ridge. Very exposed spot for a settlement so possibly for Summer grazing (?) Partially excavated in the 50's and dated at Bronze Age. Lovely remote setting.

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
The field systems nr. Zennor are some of the oldest man-made structures still in use anywhere on Earth. Some confirmed as Bronze Age but the older Neolithic hedges have been estimated at c.7000 years old. Still stopping cows falling off cliffs even now. 🐄

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
The Zennor/Treen circle may not even be a circle at all. Borlase seemed to think it is (his sketch attached), others think it an enclosure/hut circle. 14 or so stones midway between Little Galva and Zennor Hill. A circle hardly anyone mentions? Who knows?

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
Some #PrehistoryOfPenwith from Chapel Carn Brea earlier today.

1. The large barrow/entrance grave/chapel remains at the top.
2. The long cairn.
3 & 4. Hut circle/cairn with views out over Bartinney Downs and the Atlantic.
Bosporthennis beehive hut, an Iron Age courtyard house nr Zennor. Creep passage in pics 3/4 suggests possible remains of an overground #fogou.

Pics taken before an apocalyptic hailstorm soaked, froze and half-killed the 2 idiots foolhardy enough to be out there today. 👍💨❄
The Faugan stones, nr Chyenhal. We've a few pairs of stones in Penwith; The Sisters at Drift are nearby. Entrance posts to the nearby hillfort perhaps? There's a settlement nearby but, as always, who knows? A nice peaceful spot just off the public footpath.

#PrehistoryOfPenwith
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