A Mystery Stone Circle

Thursday 10 August 1989. Here's a mystery that I'm hoping someone can clear up for me - I know... I shouldn't have spilt it in the first place, but no - this mystery is of the stone circle variety.

On the previous day I had gone off exploring various stone circles, standing stones and cromlechs and had met up with a couple at the Merry Maidens stone circle near Penzance who were explaining the theories behind ley lines. I'd had a go with some dowsing rods and found that I could make them work (I would be subjected to much family scoffing whenever I tried to demonstrate).

Anyway, today we came across a stone circle I had never visited before and when I looked at my map which normally gives the name of anything like this all I read was "stone circle".

So here's the mystery and the question for my readers - if I get an answer I'll update this article: does anyone know exactly where this circle is? As far as I can remember we were travelling from Newquay to Polperro on this day, whether on our way there or during the return journey I'm not sure. But if it was during the return we may have detoured away from a straight road back. And what is the name of this circle? It's been puzzling me for 34 years now!

Anyway - I bet you can all guess where we are going for the next article, can't you?

Return to Cornwall 1989 Index Page

Merry Maidens

Wednesday 7 August 1996. After dinner in a small village pub (both the village and the pub were small) we went to find the Merry Maidens stone circle near Lamorna.

Legend says the stones are the remains of dancers who broke the rule banning dancing on the Sabbath day. Since they pre-date Christianity it was probably a tale made up by early Christians to stop locals using a place of spiritual meaning to them. In a nearby field are a couple of taller standing stones called The Pipers. If they were playing their music for the maidens then the poor girls must have had very good hearing...

With all this exploring of hill tops, Mum was making sure that any low-flying helicopter pilots saw us...

I had no dowsing rods but tried to find any ley lines with a couple of blades of grass. They swivelled as they should, but Dad was a bit sceptical! "That's wind!" he scoffed. I reminded him that he used to say the same thing when I smiled...

We're quite a way away from Newquay, so it's goodbye to the ancient stones of the far south west of Cornwall and back to the car to head back to meet the others before it's time for our main meal of the day. We have just one further stop to make...

Return to Cornwall 1996 Holiday Index