Standing in the fields of West Penwith is Lanyon Quoit, one of Cornwall’s most well known archaeological monuments.
Thought to be Early Neolithic (4000-3500 BCE), Lanyon Quoit is one of around eight such structures in this part of Cornwall, with West Penwith being particularly littered with monuments such as these. They were designed as burial chambers, spirituals places shamans visited to consult with ancestors or possibly a place for the dead to be placed for carrion.
The quoit present today is not actually the original, or at least not all of it. It would have once consisted of four upright stones and a large stone across the top. In 1815 it collapsed, damaging some of the stones. The quoit was rebuilt in 1824, although at a different angle and with only three upright stones.
The quoit is maintained by the National Trust and free to visit. It sits in a small field just off the road, although you have to climb over a low narrow stile of sorts.
There is a small space to park on the road next to the entrance to the field.
Cornish Ancient Sites (2020) Lanyon Quoit. Available at: https://www.cornishancientsites.com/ancient-sites/lanyon-quoit/.
Parkes, C. (2011) Lanyon Farm, Madron. Available at: https://map.cornwall.gov.uk/reports_event_record/2011/2011R097.pdf.