The Mên-an-Tol is a small formation of standing stones in Cornwall. It consists of three upright granite stones: a round stone with its middle holed out with two standing stones to each side, in front of and behind the hole. When seen at an angle from one side, the stones form a three-dimensional '101'.

The site probably dates from the late Neolithic-early Bronze Age (approx. 2500-1500 BC) as do the other stone circles in West Penwith, and was probably used for ritual and ceremonial purposes.

The two side stones are both about 1.2 metres high. The westernmost stone was moved and brought into a straight line with the other two stones sometime after 1815. The holed stone is roughly octagonal in outline. It is 1.3 metres wide and 1.1 metres high; the circular hole is 0.5 m in diameter. The only other holed stone in Cornwall of this type is the Tolvan holed stone which can be seen in a garden near Helston.

References:

Comments

Your name



Details

Founded: 2500-1500 BCE
Category: Prehistoric and archaeological sites in United Kingdom

Rating

4.7/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Susan Clemoes (14 months ago)
An amazing area. The stones are magical, short walk up a lane from a small free parking area.
kenneth giles (15 months ago)
Only a short walk from the road is the wonderful ancient site of Mên-an-Tol. The track can be a little ruff and would not be suitable for wheal chairs. It is uphill going to the site. You have to go over an old stone stile. The steps are very big and those with mobility issues may have difficulty. It can get busy here if you ate going on weekends or in school holidays. Unfortunately the stones are not in there original position as they where re erected in the 18th / 19th century. Despite that there is a lovely energy here and the walk is well worth it.
David Nurse (20 months ago)
A great place to visit and quite easy to get to. Good spot for a picnic. You can also visit a standing stone called Menscrifa which is in the next field along the path to the left. This is a fine site that is easily accessible on the moor. The road is a turn south off the B3306 There is a parking for around 4 cars close to the path of this site (50.153595163384026, -5.6149119102692655) The pathway is marked and the walk is an easy 1.2KM (15 minutes) from here. Look for a sign on the path by a a stile to cross the field.
Mike Taylor (23 months ago)
Peaceful and serene historic stones set with a wider rough moorland area. A short trail walk from on road parking. Definitely worth a walk to see them and climb through the circular stone
Eighties ForLife (2 years ago)
A peaceful place dating from the prehistoric times. Had lovely evening there although the field was very wet and dump. I would love to visit it again during summer time and spend more time and maybe sit or kay on the soil.
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Manarola

Manarola is a small town, a frazione of the comune of Riomaggiore. It is the second-smallest of the famous Cinque Terre towns frequented by tourists, with a population of 353.

Manarola may be the oldest of the towns in the Cinque Terre, with the cornerstone of the church, San Lorenzo, dating from 1338. The local dialect is Manarolese, which is marginally different from the dialects in the nearby area. The name 'Manarola' is probably a dialectical evolution of the Latin, 'magna rota'. In the Manarolese dialect this was changed to 'magna roea' which means 'large wheel', in reference to the mill wheel in the town.

Manarola's primary industries have traditionally been fishing and wine-making. The local wine, called Sciacchetrà, is especially renowned; references from Roman writings mention the high quality of the wine produced in the region.