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Boscawen-ûn stone circle
St Buryan |
Penwith
NGR: SW 4149 2762 |
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The stone circle at Boscawen-ûn is considered to be one of
Cornwall's most popular prehistoric ceremonial centres as well as
one of extreme aesthetic beauty. It lies beneath the southern slopes
of Creeg Tol, enclosed by a later raised circular bank which, built
in the 19th century to replace an earlier boundary that went
straight through the circle, is an early example of archaeological
conservation. The circle appears to have been carefully positioned
within the landscape in such a way as to relate with key prehistoric
landmarks, both natural and contemporary. To the north-west the
rounded hill of Chapel Carn Brea fits neatly between the slopes of
Leah and Creeg Tol. An unusual Neolithic long cairn lying on its
southern slopes and an entrance grave on the summit are highlighted
from the centre of the circle whilst to the south-south-east the
dual menhirs of The Pipers and the Merry Maidens stone circle can be
seen just below the skyline. The only glimpse of the sea is also in
this direction at Boscawen Cliff. A positional change of the circle
by just a few metres would render these sites invisible. Most of the
landscape to the north is closed off by the nearby slopes but the
circle is possibly located in such a way as be part of a
progressional route through the landscape which allows views between
monuments to open up as different landmarks are reached.
The circle is slightly oval in shape and consists of nineteen large
upright stones, all of granite except for one of quartz. Just
off-centre within the circle lies a tall stone said to resemble an
axe cutting into the earth with two axe carvings of low relief on
its north-east face. These carvings are the only known examples of
stone axe carvings in Britain and the closest parallel for them lies
in the Neolithic ritual sites of Brittany which suggests that the
central stone at Boscawen-ûn predated the circle and was erected as
a monument for axe-related ritual; possibly in conjunction with
woodland clearance. The stone leans towards the north-east sector of
the circle where an arrangement of stones may represent an earlier,
possibly contemporary cairn or cist. That this feature also
pre-dates the circle is apparent in the spacing of the circle
uprights at this point. When the circle itself was erected, the
quartz stone was placed on the south-west side of the circle in
alignment with the central stone and the cairn-like structure to the
north-east. It is thought by some that the central stone with its
axe carvings represents the phallic masculine whilst the quartz
stone represents the feminine powers of the ring. The south-west
position of the quartz stone also marks the direction of the full
moon during mid-summer.
Boscawen-ûn is a Cornish name derived from the elements bod,
"dwelling or farmstead" and scawen, "elder tree". The suffix –un
comes from goon, "downland or unenclosed pasture". There are remains
of later Bronze Age field systems in the area although no associated
settlement in the immediate vicinity, whilst the remains of a group
of four Bronze Age barrows and a Neolithic/Bronze Age menhir to the
north-east are almost certainly associated with the ceremonial
landscape in which Boscawen-ûn circle lies. It would appear
therefore, that the landscape around Boscawen-ûn has been one of
important ritual and focus on an evolving scale from the Neolithic
onwards. Boscawen-ûn itself was possibly one of the pre-eminent
ceremonial monuments for the communities of West Penwith providing
not only a ritual arena but also a focus for other gatherings and
social occasions. Folklore has it that Boscawen-ûn is a circle
created by maidens dancing on the Sabbath being turned to stone.
Whilst this story is attractive, perhaps more credible is the
possibility of Boscawen-ûn being one of the three Gorsedds, or Druid
Meeting Places, of Britain. The Welsh Triads which date back to
around the 6th Century AD record "Boskawen of Dumnonia" as being one
of the "Gorsedds of Poetry of the Island of Britain". Certainly the
circle is still an important spiritual meeting place for local Pagan
groups and ritual offerings are still placed here.
Sources
Barnatt, J, 1982. Prehistoric Cornwall: The Ceremonial Monuments.
Turnstone Press Limited. ISBN 0 85500 129 1
Herring, P, 2000. Boscawen-ûn, St Buryan, Cornwall. An
Archaeological Assessment. Historic Environment Service,
Cornwall County Council. |
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Ground & Aerial photographs |
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