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Tregeseal stone circle
St Just |
Penwith
NGR: SW 3863 3237 |
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The stone circle at Tregeseal now stands alone on the gentle slopes
of Truthwall Common to the south of Carn Kenidjack but originally it
was part of a ritual complex comprising two and possibly three
circles in a roughly east-west alignment. Alternative names for the
complex are “The Dancing Stones” and “The Nine Maidens”, in common
with many of the Cornish stone circles and possibly suggestive of
their original function. The most westerly of the three circles is
only detectable now through aerial photos and the middle circle has
undergone consistent deterioration and field clearance to the extent
that today only one visible upright remains within the Cornish stone
hedge surrounding the field in which it once stood. Originally this
circle is thought to have been larger than the surviving easterly
circle which probably consisted of about 21 stone uprights
initially. These have undergone substantial restoration and
rebuilding over many years so that whilst nineteen uprights are
present today, only the stones in the eastern half of the circle are
likely to be in their original position.
The western side of the circle has been disturbed probably by
streamworking. The shape of the circle is hard to
determine but the stones were probably regularly spaced to begin
with and the overall circle a slightly flattened ovoid. Surviving
original uprights in the western half are higher than the others,
suggesting that the stones might originally have been graded in
height.
There is a possibility that the east-west alignment of the circles
suggests deliberate positioning to mark sunrise at the equinoxes and
certainly the circle is popularly used for rituals and gatherings by
modern pagan groups. The circle stands within a complex ritual
landscape. The remains of a Bronze Age barrow cemetery stands
between the circle and Carn Kenidjack and to the east in rough
alignment to the circle are four, possibly five, holed stones that
may be part of a stone row. The contemporary ritual complex may also
include a solitary menhir further to the east on Boswens Common. The
circle itself is likely to be late Neolithic or early Bronze Age in
date.
The monument stands in open ground on Kenidjack Common, over which
there is open access and can be reached via a number of footpaths
although the road running through Hailglower Farm is private.
Sources
Barnatt, J, 1982. Prehistoric Cornwall: The Ceremonial Monuments.
Turnstone Press Limited. ISBN 0 85500 129 1
Payne, R, 1999. The Romance of the Stones:
Cornwall's Pagan Past. Alexander Associates. ISBN 899526 66 8
Preston-Jones, A, 2000. Tregeseal Stone Circle, St Just.
Historic Environment Service, Cornwall County Council. |
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Ground & Aerial photographs |
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