Discover the Ancient Standing Stones of Cornwall
Cornish standing stones (menhirs) are megalithic marvels, each with their own stories to tell. Dating back to the Neolithic and Bronze Age, they vary in size from humble markers to towering monoliths.
Lanyon Quoit is the most photographed of all the standing stones in Cornwall. However, it’s the least authentic, as the original collapsed in storm back in 1815, so it’s kind of a new version! It’s thought that too many people kept digging underneath to find treasure, that possibly never existed!
Typically fashioned from granite or slate, you’ll often find them in groups, forming circles or avenues. Perhaps the local red kites flying above these ancient stones (mostly found in the southwest) are the only ones who know exactly why they were built?
More Standing Stone Legends of Cornwall
The Merry Maidens: girls who were turned to stone, for dancing on a Sunday! The Blind Fiddler with them, was also turned to stone.
Mên-an-Tol: It is said that passing a child with rickets through the hole can cure them?
The Piskies: A legend tells of a Piskie who swapped a child with a changeling (a supernatural Celtic being), and the parents were able to reverse the spell by passing the changeling through the hole in the Mên-an-Tol stone.
