Stone Circles and other prehistoric sites in Cornwall

Perhaps the best-preserved wayside cross in Cornwall, Longstone Cross, or Long Tom as it is sometimes called, is a nine-foot-tall granite slab topped by a round-headed crosshead. It stands just outside the village of Minions, on the south-eastern edge of Bodmin Moor.
Minions, Cornwall, England

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An ancient holy well in a wooded area just west of Madron, said to have healing powers. Nearby stands a small, roofless 12th-century chapel with a font fed by the same underground spring as the well. Both well and the chapel site have been used for thousands of years by local people, and even today offerings are tied to the tree overhanging the well.
Madron, Cornwall, England

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Heritage Highlight: The most visited of Cornwall's ancient holy wells

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On the village green in Mawgan stands a carved stone cross possibly as old as the 6th century. The stone bears an inscription to 'Cnegumus, son of Genaius', and the Greek alpha and omega symbols.
Mawgan, Cornwall, England

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Heritage Highlight: Early Christian inscription

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One of the most unique and fascinating prehistoric sites in England - and one of the smallest. Men an Tol consists of a round stone pierced by a large hole, flanked by two upright stones. No one really knows what the monument was intended for, though it is possibly all that remains of a burial chamber. Local stories say that if you pass through the hole in the stone you will be cured of illness.
Madron, Cornwall, England

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Just off the road between Newlyn and Lands End is a small stone circle known as the Merry Maidens. There are 19 stones in what must surely be one of the best-preserved ancient monuments in Cornwall, Unusually, the circle is thought to be complete and unchanged from its inception. The stones are not terribly large, so don't come expecting Stonehenge, but the location and the ambience are wonderful.
Lamorna, Cornwall, England

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In the grounds of the vicarage at Morwenstow stands a medieval well head dating to at least 1296 and dedicated to St John. The water is still used for baptisms in the nearby church.
The Vicarage, Morwenstow, Cornwall, England, EX23 9SR

Attraction Type: Prehistoric - Holy Well
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A row of nine stones stands in a field near St Columb Major. The stones appear to be aligned on a distant standing stone. The stone row is said to have been formed by nine maidens turned to stone for the sin of dancing on the Sabbath.
A39, St Columb Major, Cornwall, England

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Heritage Highlight: Cornwall's largest stone row

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Tucked into the side of a hedge in a farm field at North Petherwin is a 6th-century holy well. Like the nearby parish church, the well is dedicated to the 6th-century saint Padarn, or Paternus. Water from the well is still used for baptisms in the church.
Hellescott Road, North Petherwin, Cornwall, England

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Heritage Highlight: The deepest holy well in Cornwall

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Perran Round is a fascinating open-air amphitheatre where miracle plays in the Cornish language were held during the medieval period. The amphitheatre may have been formed from an Iron Age enclosure, or a Romano-British farmstead.
B3285, Rose, Perranporth, Cornwall, England, TR4 9PF

Attraction Type: Prehistoric - Landmark
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Heritage Highlight: The best-surviving venue for Cornish medieval miracle plays

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On an exposed rock face in a rocky gorge near Tintagel are a pair of mysterious labyrinth carvings, possibly made during the early Bronze Age, as much as 4000 years ago. The carvings are now a focus for modern pilgrims.
Tintagel, Cornwall, England

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Heritage Highlight: Mysterious labyrinth carvings may be 4000 years old

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