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A September diary visits to Men an Tol, Tregeseal and Nine Maidens stone circles

September 12, 2015

Charles loves to visit the numerous Neolithic and early Bronze Age sites in West Cornwall and I love to see the Cornish heathland clothed in the vibrant swathes of heather and gorse at this time of the year and so it was an easy decision to combine the two, while choosing places within easy striking distance of Ednovean Farm and Penzance.
This week we visited Men an Tol –  a holed healing stone and the stone circles of Tregeseal and Nine Maidens and the Ballowall Barrow overlooking the spectacular coastline at Cape Cornwall



Ancient places, Tregeseal stone Circle.

Our first visit of the month was to Tregeseal stone circle where we walked up to common to find the ancient stone circle and sat to breath in the fabulous sweep of  purple heathers tucked under a comfortable old Cornish bank with a tasty picnic. To read more about the circle, try my blog about the ancient sites to visit in West Cornwall

Tregeseal stone Circle
Tregeseal Stone circle this September
Ancient Cornwall
Cairn Kenidjack


Cot Valley

Our next adventure took us out to St Just to explore the lush reaches of subtropical Cot valley. We followed the gurgling stream down to Porth Nanven beach along a narrowing lane through the valley.  It is an amazing spot – the wooded slopes are one of the first resting places for migrating birds with lush vegetation hiding intriguing secluded cottages and a beach framed by beach unusual ovoid boulders, deposited by the last Ice age.

Cape Cornwall

Cape Cornwall
Beautiful and unspoilt Cape Cornwall

Bitten by the travelling bug, the next day we returned again to St just but this time took the other lane that leads instead out towards the sea and down to Cape Cornwall, stopping to explore an early tomb and cist graves, of Ballowall Barrow. Set in a spectacular cliff top location, just beside the road and with a comfortable spot for Lucy Land Rover to park, before venturing on to the cliff path to admire Cape Cornwall. I even peeped over the boundary bank of Cape Cornwall golf course to the eighteenth hole!

the 18th hole
Cape Cornwall golf course beautifully kept with stunning views out to sea


Men-anTol – ancient healing stone

Men-an-Tol
At one time every village would have had one or two stone circles and a healing stone such as this

Our next adventure took us back to Men-an-Tol. There’s a little lay-by just off of the lane to park and then a cart track to walk up to the stones. We met a farmer who stopped to chat settled comfortably on a sturdy quad bike loaded with farming paraphernalia  as we peered at a derelict farmyard far off of the lane.

Derelict farmhouse
We spotted a derelict farmhouse guarded by threatening legal notices!

He described his conservation work and talked about his family roots over the centuries; he talked about the landmarks on the moors; about the longhouses and standing stones and finally told us the farm had last been lived in the 1960’s.


A circular walk from Men-an-Tol to Nine Maidens

When we finally reached the holed stone it was “in use” with an American lady clambering through the orifice, ably encouraged by two male cyclist.  So we changed our plans and set off again to picnic across the moors at Ding Dong Mine with the idea of looking down over Mounts bay as we ate our lunch. Well, we reached the mine and as we sat down, we asked a passing dog walker the exact route to the stone circle we had last visited – was it twenty years ago ….an hour later we thought we had better move on!

Walking from Ding Dong Mine to Nine Maidens

We had the instruction: –   “Follow the track until we met the fields and then turn on to the moor again.” . We decided we could eat lunch towards the Nine Maidens stone circle instead!

The clouds were coming in by now and the fabulous stretches of moorland rolled away in front of us. And actually we were getting pretty hungry. Finally the circle came into site and I found a comfortable gorse bush to tuck myself down beside and settled amongst the stones for lunch ….and only three o clocks!

A second chance encounter, high on the heathland

We were not alone when we got there. So we sat and watched as an older lady, visiting each stone in turn, with affection, before she left us to stride away across the moor.

Charles took his photos of the circle – It looked so much better than the last time we visited many years ago, then motor bike scramble bikes had churned up the earth in deep ruts. THis time the circle was healed and fresh and exactly as it should be.

After two lengthy conversations along the way, we had to hurry, striding along a deep, well worn path that finally rejoined the little cart track. We passed the elderly lady again! I’d have loved to have stopped to talk to her longer as she described her walk to see the Belted Galloway cattle far across the moor but I had to make my excuses and hurry on. I bet she had ridden her pony as a child across these same moors – oh maybe seventy years, seventy five years ago and today she still loved the old ancient places.

I loved visiting the great swathes of heather the truly ancient stones that bare memory to long lost societies. But you know my most resounding memory of that day were the characters we had met along the route.

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About Christine Taylor

Christine has written a weekly blog about life at Ednovean Farm and interesting places to visit in West Cornwall for over ten years now, concentrating on those off the beaten track places that only the locals find.

Charles and Christine Taylor have hosted Luxury Bed and Breakfast at Ednovean Farm Nr Penzance in West Cornwall since 1991 and live there with three cats and five horses, including a Spanish Stallion called Danni.

Ednovean Farm has been awarded AA five star gold for Bed and breakfast and is included in The Michelin Guide and The Alastair Sawday Guide .

The Farmhouse and gardens has been featured in BBC Homes and Antiques, Homes and Gardens. Period Living and 25 Beautiful Homes as well as being used as a film and photo shoot location.

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