Standing Stones

There are upwards of 90 historical menhirs, or standing stones, in West Penwith. Many of these are relatively small, and some have been moved from their original positions by farmers over the centuries. Some have been placed as parish boundary markers. Others, notably The Pipers near the Merry Maidens are up to 15 feet tall.

Their original purpose can only be guessed at, though some appear to be aligned with nearby stone circles, which suggests a religious significance. Most single standing stones date back to the Bronze Age, and many are early Christian, though they continue to be erected to this day in local farms and gardens. The Men Scryfa stone near the Men-an-tol is a Romano-British memorial, and is inscribed: "Royal Raven, son of the Glorious prince."

Mên-an-tol
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The Mên-an-tol is an unusual monument, though there are similar sites elsewhere in Cornwall.

Probably built in the Bronze Age, there is evidence that it was part of a much larger site, possibly including a stone circle.

Men-an-Tol

The holed stone may have been part of a tunnel between burial structures on either side.

Folklore has it that the central holed stone offers a cure for scrofulous children, and even that it has Delphic properties.
Whatever the case, it is nowadays a magnet for people who wish to sit and meditate quietly.

 

One of The Pipers

The Pipers
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The Pipers are two large standing stones close to the Merry Maidens stone circle, and are probably associated with it. These were probably depicted as the musicians who played for the merry maidens who were turned to stone for dancing blasphemously on the Sabbath..

 

St Buryan Menhir
SW

Menhirs turn up in the most unexpected places. This one, over 8 ft tall, is near the edge of an ancient field on the edge of St. Buryan.

St. Buryan menhir

St. Buryan cross (churchyard)

Since the coming of Christianity to Cornwall, introduced by the Irish saint', many stones in the form of the Celtic cross were erected, and these are found all over West Penwith in villages and by roadsides.

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