trencrom hill tor enclosure.

the tors were first used in the early neolithic around 3800 BCE, and were later enclosed with stone-and-earth banks built between granite boulders and outcrops on the hill sides. such banks were not necessarily built to defend the special places found

tabletop dolmen. from beach stones.

tabletop dolmen. from beach stones.
many of the quoits in west cornwall have their capstones supported by four main stones making up the opposing sides with a blocking and back stone completing the enclosure. some now have stones fallen or removed and some have been rebuilt in relatively recent times. the earliest megaliths in cornwall announcing the transition to farming or the hearding of cattle and the onset of neolithic practices. the capstones are seemingly carefully chosen to resemble the tors that surround and are intervisible with them. interestingly many have had beach pepples found within or near them
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trippet stone circle. bodmin.

trippet stone circle. bodmin. the sister stone circle to stripple stones. intervisible with one another and both in sight of hawkstor seen in the background in this shot. the entrance to the stripple henge-circle in direct alignment with this circle. many of the stones making up this circle – originally around 26 – are now recumbent

neolithic long carn or barrow. chaple carn brea west penwith.

neolithic long carn or barrow. chaple carn brea west penwith. the last high point before the western sea board and the site of much prehistory – heavily populated by a range of neolithic and bronze age long and round barrows entrance graves and carns. it is an important ceremonial site in view of the atlantic with many of its sites unexcavated. comprises an elongated stony mound, oriented NNW to SSE, situated on a crest above a slight southern slope. It is 26m long and varies between 5.0m and 6.0m wide. within this width comprises a flattened mound of small tightly packed stones, which at the northern end broadens to 3.2m. seven earthfast stones occur at irregular intervals by the edge of the flat mound and again towards the perimeter of the mound. these average between 0.1m to 0.3m but one of two leaning stones is 0.9m high. there are at least seventeen displaced blocks or slabs averaging 1.0m long and 0.7m wide on the mound and around its perimeter, but with no obvious sockets to confirm that they are part of a displaced kerb. one of the most interesting features is the way it incorporates a large 15m horizontal outcrop. initially level with the stone mound, this now rises 1.7m above it and at the southern end is 3.0m above the present ground level. along its axis small stones have been packed against and into its crevices. probably important before the carn was built, these outcrops have had their meaning and myths transferred to the barrow to enhance its status and presence in this ceremonial landscape

tor enclosures

at roughtor a well preserved stone-built tor enclosure incorporates the natural outcrops of roughtor and little roughtor. its stony banks are shown as solid black lines in this plan to the right. it was surveyed on the ground by english