Gun Rith Standing Stone
Gun Rith is a standing stone measuring three and a half meters tall, located across the road from the Tregiffian burial chamber, near the Merry Maidens stone circle. It is one of a high concentration of menhirs, or standing stones, in Penwith, some of which reach over five meters. Gun Rith, whose name translates as 'Red Dawn', has fallen a few times in recent years, which is why the base is now set in concrete. The purpose of Gun Rith remains unknown, although it was probably linked to the Merry Maidens in some way. William Borlase excavated around the stone at the end of the nineteenth century, but his only find was a beach pebble.
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