I recently returned from Cornwall—a precinct of England known for its haunting landscapes—to tour some of the the mysterious fields of stone that have been sacred here for four thousand years. I wondered what these ancient temples had meant to the stone age people who built them? Why, I wondered, have people continued to continued to hold them sacred down through time?
They aren’t hard to find on the map. From single standing stones along the roadside to stone circles plots protected by the National Trust, there are over a thousand stone sites in Cornwall. But getting there requires negotiating narrow back roads defined by hedges than conceal ancient stone walls—all while driving on the “English” side of the road.
Some of the sites are near the road; others require hikes of a quarter to a half mile over bucolic countryside.
Approaching the stones felt to me like entering an outdoor cathedral. There was a power that’s hard to define—a magnetic energy that invited reflection and offered a feeling of great peace.
Here are a few of my favorites:
To learn more about the stones of Cornwall here are some great references:
Guidebooks:
Video:
Here are five of my favorite stone sites:
Filed under:Cornwall, England, Great Ruins, Photo Op || Tagged under: ancient stones, Cornwall, England, Featured, menhirs, neolithic stones, quoits, stone circles, travel
