Ancient stones, circles, quoits, fougos, wells and forts
The various ancient sites that dot the landscape of Cornwall date from as far back as 20 thousand years or the middle of the Stone Age.
Most of the Stone Age henges and megaliths (circles and standing stones), were constructed between 10,000 and 2,500 years BC. Many fine examples can be found on Bodmin Moor in the east of Cornwall and the moors of Penwith in the west.Noteable examples include the Stripple Stones near Bodmin Moor, Lanyon Quoit near Penzance and Men-an-Tol (photo at the top of the page).
In the Bronze Age (2,400 - 6,000 BC) many of the regions ceremonial and burial monuments were constructed. These mainly took the form of stone circles, rows and standing stones or menhirs, and the barrows. Again concentrated on and around the moors of Penwith and Bodmin these structures include The Merry Maidens of Boleigh, The Hurlers and Obadiah's Barrow on Gugh, Isles of Scilly
The final era of the stones was the Iron Age (600 - 43 BC). In this period as the population increased there was more of a shift to defensive structures such as hill forts and cliff castles. Examples of these are hill forts such as Trencrom and cliff castles like Treryn Dinas at Treen near Porthcurno. This is also the time many of the fogous where built, like that at Carn Euny near Sancreed
Quoits
Fougous
Barrows
Crosses
Standing Stones / Menhirs
Holed Stones
Stone Circles
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Bronze/Iron Age Settlements
Roman Milestones
Holy Wells
Castles
Carns
Amphitheatres
Rock Basins
Earthworks
Hill Forts
Others |
