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]]>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.
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]]>In west Penwith the men-an-tol is a famous site made up of four standing stones.
Thought to be of Neolithic Early-Bronze Age origin (2500-1500 BCE) the exact nature of what it was built for is a mystery. The name comes from the Cornish ‘stone of the hole’.
The first mention of these stones was in the 18th century when the stone was ‘famous for curing pains in the back by going through the hole, three, five, or nine times’. A local farmer at the time stated that he knew of people who went threw the hole in an attempt to cure back pains and parents would send their children in for rickets. Other holed stones were the site of courtship rituals, although there are no records of this happening here.
Other examples of holed stones were often part of a larger structure and evidence of other stones nearby suggest that this may be the case, possibly forming a stone circle of sorts. Whilst there are several other holed stones in Cornwall, this has the largest diameter at 51cm.
Access is free to all alongside a public footpath.
There is a small car park on the road between Morvah and Penzance, just south of the site. It isn’t far up the footpath from here.
Borlase, W. (1769) Antiquities of Cornwall. 2nd edn.
Cornish Ancient Sites (2020) Men-an-Tol. Available at: https://www.cornishancientsites.com/ancient-sites/men-an-tol/.
Cornwalls (2020) Men-An-Tol Holed Stone. Available at: https://www.cornwalls.co.uk/history/sites/men_an_tol.htm.
Preston-Jones, A. (1993) Men-an-Tol. Available at: https://map.cornwall.gov.uk/reports_event_record/1993/1993R010.pdf.
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]]>One the moors near Madron sit the three remaining engine houses of Ding Dong Mine, possibly the oldest mine in Cornwall.
Ding Dong, like so many other Cornish mines, is actually made up of numerous smaller ventures. The name traditionally only applied to the central sett, with at least fifteen other mines surrounding it making up the later workings. To the east is Providence, Tredinneck and Ishmael’s while in the west were Wheal Boys and Wheal Malkin.
The mines name may originate from ‘head of the lode’, or relate with the bells of Madron church which rang during the mines last shift.
Records for this area began in the 17th century, being predominantly tin streaming and open works.
In 1796 Edward Bull installed an inverted engine on Ding Dong shaft. However, this engine turned out to be illegal, an infringement on Boulton & Watt’s condenser patent. A notice was put on the engine. Richard Trevithick, Ned Bull and William West quickly scampered in to rectify the situation: by turning the cylinder on its head and taking the top off. While this enabled them to circumvent the patent, its unclear how well the engine worked afterwards.
In 1814 the sixteen smaller mines came together as Ding Dong. This was its main period of working in which the majority of remains today come from. Much of its eastern section has been transformed into farm land, but the central and western components can still been seen on the moorland.
Not all sections of the mine were worked at the same time. Twenty years prior to 1862 the Ishmael’s section had been left to flood; it was decided to unwater this area, but when two men were sent down to install siphons they were hurt in an explosion. This was repeated again when the mine manager and four others also ventured down. On the next attempt, Davey lamps were used, designed for flammable environments and methane gas was found, the source of which was rotten timbers.
By 1874 the mine had five engine house and employed 273 workers. This prosperity didn’t last and by 1877 there was little tin ore to be found. Compounded by low tin prices, the mine was closed. Attempts were made to keep it open, but these stopped in 1880. Between 1912-15 and in 1928 the burrows were reworked for short periods, but little else came of this.
Greenburrow (80 fathoms/146m), North Killiow, Tredinneck (135 fathoms/245m), Ishmael’s (62 fathoms/113m), Providence (110 fathoms/201m), Wheal Boys, Highburrow, Bolitho (80 fathoms/146m), West Boys (58 fathoms/106m), Old Engine (10 fathoms/18m), Greenpease (60 fathoms/110m), Jacobine, Croft Reeve (92 fathoms/168m), Ding Dong (80 fathoms/146m), Robin’s (80 fathoms/146m), Hard (62 fathoms/113m), East Killiow, Bank (70 fathoms/128m), South Killiow (45 fathoms/82m), Bosiliack, East, Clymo’s (20 fathoms/37m), South Bussa (30 fathoms/55m), Batten’s (40 fathoms/73m) and Qualk.
Situated in the middle of Land’s End granite this mine is unusual in that the lodes don’t all run in the same direction, but in several, intersecting at various points.
Bedford’s, Robin’s, North Standard, Boy’s, Ding Dong Standard, After’s, Killiow, Malkin, Bosiliack, Good Fortune, Bussa, Bucka, Wigs, Klucky, New, Slide, Ishmael’s, Jilbert’s, Sut Bal, Hughe’s, White, Alex’s, Jacobine, Red, Tallow, Providence, Qualk, Rowe’s, Badger and Caunter.
1814-1878
3,475 tons (3,530,763 kg) black tin
1912
8.5-10 lb (3.8-4.5 kg) of tin per ton (1,016 kg)
There are three engine houses left on the Ding Dong site. The most prominent is that of the 40″ pumping engine on Greenburrow shaft. This is a Harvey’s engine that was originally erected in 1857 on North Killiow shaft, then moved to its current location in 1864. Next is the 25″ whim on Ishmael’s shaft, although it likely wound from others. The last is a 30″ pumping engine which worked Tredinneck and Providence shafts, one of the oldest engine houses left standing in Cornwall having been built in 1825.
The first documented engine is the 1796 28″ ‘pirate’ engine installed on Ding Dong shaft. There was also a 18″ whim sold in 1878 and a 24″ stamps that worked either 40 or 44 heads of stamps.
Access to two of the engine houses is free to all as Greenburrow’s and Ishmael’s whim stand on common land. Tredinneck engine house is on private land, but can clearly be seen from the road.
Parking is rather tricky, with the closest ‘official’ spaces being on the road between Madron and Morvah down by Men-an-Tol, making it a long trek to the engine houses. On the road next to Ishmael’s is a potential spot you could pull in and park, but this was exceptionally muddy on my own visit.
Brown, K. and Acton, B. (2007) Exploring Cornish Mines: Volume Two. 2nd edn. Truro: Landfall Publications.
Dines, H. G. (1956) The metalliferous mining regions of south-west England. British Geological Survey.
Jennings, H. R. (1936) Notes on the History of Madron, Morvah & Penzance.
Nance, D. and Brown, K. (2014) A complete guide to the engine houses of West Cornwall. Gloucestershire: Lightmoor Press.
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]]>West Penwith has one of the greatest densities of heritage in all of the UK, and this walk aims to take in just some of it. From Carn Galver mine its possible to walk across the moors to Ding Dong mine near Madron, with numerous megalithic structures on the way.
Starting off at the magical Carn Galver, a predominantly 19th century tin and copper mine. On the other side of the road is a narrow and very steep track heading up Carn Galver. Carn meaning a heap of stones in Cornish, its not dissimilar to others around the county such as Carn Marth, Carn Brea or the closer Carn Kenidjack.
This is the path that a friend and I took up to the peak of Carn Galver, although there is an alternative route slightly further down the road we took on the way back that is much more flat.
Once at the top we got our first view across the moors to the distance outline of Ding Dong mine’s Greenburrow engine house. After ambling down the other side of the carn and dodging lots of deep puddles, we joined the lower path and continued on towards the mine.
After passing a ruined farm building on the right, carry straight on at the rather scew-wiff crossroads. At this crossroad, half buried in the mud is the ‘rock of four parishes’, a marked stone that marks the boundaries of the parishes of Gulval, Madron, Morvah and Zennor.
The day we walked it was definitely on the moist side, having to spend more time on the ridges around the path then on them to avoid very large puddles. Eventually we reached the engine house, although not until after my friend had slipped and fell in the mud, and took in the amazing views. Even with the bad weather we could still see all of the beautiful farmland around us.
From here there are two choices on how to return back (or do both, entirely up to you).
Choice One
Facing back towards Carn Galver, if you follow the path back until it branches back the way you came and a second left hand path. Take this second path until you reach a stile. Over the stile, follow the muddy path around to the left and down the hill. On the left are remains of old mine workings all fenced off. At the bottom of the hill, cross over the stream and if the weather is bad you may have to cross a number of other less official streams as the ground heads up again. Soon you’ll reach the open patch of ground with Men-an-Tol in the centre; this is an ancient site steeped in history thought to be around 2,500 to 1,500 years old. After this, hop over the gap in the wall opposite and turn right up the footpath. This eventually reaches the previously visited scew-wiff crossroads, but not before passing Men Scryfa.
Men Scryfa is a free standing stones possibly dating from 500-700CE; inscribed with ‘rialobriani cvnlvali’, although more lettering is buried, this likely translates to ‘the stone of Riabolbranius, on son Cunovalus’.
Choice Two
Instead of heading left, follow the wide path from the engine house to the right. On reaching a farm gate post, turn left up a narrow uphill track. This track winds its way up to Boskednan Stone Circle, a Early Bronze Age (2500-1500 BCE) circle made up of thirteen standing stones.
Once you’ve had your fill of the circle, stay on the path, which will eventually make its way to the crossroads. From here you can either go right back to the car, or straight on and see Men-an-Tol.
All parts of the walk are free to all along public footpaths and open access land. Many of the paths we walked were narrow, uneven and severely water logged, so wellies in winter are a must. Those with mobility issues may struggle.
There is parking available for free at Carn Galver mine.
Boskednan stone circle (2018). Available at: https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/environment-and-planning/strategic-historic-environment-service/cornwall-and-scilly-historic-environment-record/access-to-monuments/find-by-name/find-monuments-by-name/a-e/boskednan-stone-circle/.
Historic England (2020) Men Scryfa. Available at: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1018573.
Four Parishes Rock (2020). Available at: https://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=48125.
Preston-Jones, A. (1993) Men-an-Tol. Available at: https://map.cornwall.gov.uk/reports_event_record/1993/1993R010.pdf.
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