Standing Stones or Menhirs of Penwith

In Penwith there is a high concentration of standing stones or menhirs. The word menhir meaning longstone, coming from the from the Cornish ‘men’ stone and ‘hyr’ long. Their existence is a mystery. There have been ancient artifacts found at these stones, attributed to the Bronze Age. Such large stones would have taken an effort to erect, so there must have had a reason, but this has been lost over time.

Pipers Stones SW436248

The Pipers are the largest standing stones in Penwith, the tallest being 16 feet. Both stones, one of which has a definite slant, are within a couple of hundred feet of each other. They are only 250 metres from the Merry Maidens. Located on the other side of the B3315 and can be seen from the road.

The area that immediately surround both of the pipers, have been excavated. There has been no significant finds.

Their closeness to the Merry Maidens has led them to be tied into the circle’s legend. These are the pipers that played blasphemously for the dancing maidens and suffered the same fate and were turned to stone.

Blind Fiddler or Tregonebris Stone SW425282

This is a large distinctive triangular stone that stands over three metres high and is two metres at its base. It is located in a field close to the A30.

It is another stone with a story of a fiddler that played blasphemously on a Sunday and was turned to stone for his sin.

The Blind Fiddler is worth a visit and is relatively easy to do so, as it is possible to park close by.

In the nineteenth century, bone fragments and ashes were found at its base, not by an official dig but by a treasure hunter.

Blind Fiddler

Blind Fiddler Side View

Side View

The Two Sisters SW437284

On a hill close to Drift is a fine pair of standing stones. The stones can be seen from the road the A30. They are alternatively known as the Two Sisters, Drift Stones or as the Trigganeris Stones. The southern sister stands at nine feet and has a large crack in it, the northern sister is shorter at seven feet four inches. They stand six metres from each other.

WC Borlase excavated a trench between the two stones and found an empty grave. The graves was not as he had expected, it was not lengthways to the stones but almost at right angles, plus it was completely out of line of both stones.

Ground Plan Of Trigganeris Stones and Grave

Ground Plan Of Trigganeris Stones and Grave
Naenia Cornuble WC Borlase 1872


South Sister Photograph by Chris Bond		North Sister Photograph by Chris Bond

Tresvennack Longstone SW442282

This standing stone of about three metres high is on private land. In the nineteenth century a farmer found next to it a pit covered by a flat stone.

Within the pit was two Bronze Age urns, one contained cremated human bone fragments plus a tooth, the second a powder. Both urns are shown below, the larger collared urn with ribbon handles dating from 2400-2000BC.

The smaller, a lugged urn dates 2400-1400BC. These urns can be seen in Penlee Musuem.

Tresvennack Longstone Photograph by Chris Bond		Tresvennack Longstone From WC Borlase's Naenia Cornubia


Urns Excavated At Tresvennack		Larger View of The Smaller Urn

Image reproduced by kind permission of Penlee House Gallery and Museum

Gun Rith SW429245

This stone stands over 3 metres tall. The name of the stone meaning Red Dawn.

Gun Rith is worth a visit while visiting the Merry Maidens or Tregiffian. Gun Rith is visible from both these sites. It is located in a field corner on the opposite side of the B3315 to Tregiffian

It has fallen in recent years and is now set in concrete.

WC Borlase excavated around the stone towards the end of the 19TH century, the only find being a beach pebble.

Gun Rith

Boswens Menhir SW400329

Boswens Menhir stands at eight and a half feet. It stands in the middle of a cairn.

The cairn has unfortunately severely suffered from stone robbing over the last two centuries, but it can still be made out.

Boswens Menhir can be seen from the road the B3318. It is well worth visit if you are visiting Tregeseal Stone Circle or Chun which are close by.

Boswens Menhir Photograph by Colin Bond

Boswens Menhir
Photograph by Chris Bond

Boslow Stone SW392331

The metre and half standing stone is marked on the OS map as an inscribed stone.

The inscription has worn and cannot be read, however it was in Latin and possible dates to a similar time as that of the inscription on Men Scryfra.

There is the mark of the cross that still can be seen. It was discovered in 1877 and stands at the location where it was found.

Carfury SW440340

A tall standing stone, standing 10 feet in height, which is set within a fallen hedge.

The area around the stone has been excavated, which produced no finds.

Photograph by Judith Zuurmond

Chyenhal SW451275

In the immediate vicinity of Chyenhal, there were once others, at least two. These are sadely gone. Chyenhal itself was re-erected in the nineteenth century.

Visible from half a mile away is the Kerris Stone. Chyanhal stands at over 9 feet.

Photograph by Ron Bakhuyzen

Longstone Trelew SW422269

A stone of nine feet plus. It was excavated by WC Borlase in the nineteenth century.

He found a deposit of splintered bones, ashes, clay and a piece of flint, only three feet away from the base of the menhir.

Longstone Trelew