Men Gurta | |
 St Breock Downs Monolith | |
| Alternative name | St Breock Longstone |
|---|---|
| Location | near St Breock |
| Region | Cornwall, England |
| Coordinates | 50°28′45.54″N 4°51′56.28″W / 50.4793167°N 4.8656333°W |
| Type | Standing stone ( megalith) |
| History | |
| Material | Shale |
| Periods | Late Neolithic / Early Bronze Age |
| Site notes | |
| Public access | Yes |
St Breock Downs Monolith (or St Breock Longstone; Cornish: Men Gurta [1]) is the largest and heaviest prehistoric standing stone in Cornwall, England. [2] It stands on the summit of St Breock Downs.
Description
The stone is made from the local Devonian shale which has extensive feldspar veining, [3] and it is estimated to weigh around 16.5 tonnes. [1] It is 4.92 metres long [1] and stands to a height of just over 3 metres above ground level. [3] It stands on a low stone mound or cairn with a diameter of around 10 metres. [3] It is believed to be Late Neolithic or Early Bronze Age (around 2500-1500 BC). [1]
It fell over in 1945, and was re-erected in 1956 after a small excavation had been carried out. [3] The excavation showed that the stone stood in a setting of quartz pebbles below which were two small hollows. [1] Similar hollows at other sites have been found to contain human bone or ashes. [1]
The stone may have been associated with other Bronze Age ritual monuments in the area, including one other standing stone, [4] and a series of barrows that extend up to 4 miles (7 km) to the west. [3]
The stone is mentioned in antiquarian records as early as 1613, and was later adopted as a St Breock parish boundary marker. [3] The site is now in the care of the Cornwall Heritage Trust on behalf of English Heritage. [5]
Notes
- ^ a b c d e f Historic England. "St Breock Downs Monolith (430282)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 12 April 2012.
- ^ St Breock Downs Monolith, English Heritage, retrieved 12 April 2012
- ^ a b c d e f History and Research: St Breock Downs Monolith, English Heritage, retrieved 12 April 2012
- ^ Historic England. "St Breock Downs Standing Stone (430297)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 12 April 2012.
- ^ Sites Managed and Cared for by Cornwall Heritage Trust for English Heritage Archived 2012-06-13 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved 12 April 2012
External links
Media related to
St Breock Downs Monolith at Wikimedia Commons
- St Breock Downs Monolith, English Heritage
Men Gurta | |
|
St Breock Downs Monolith | |
| Alternative name | St Breock Longstone |
|---|---|
| Location | near St Breock |
| Region | Cornwall, England |
| Coordinates | 50°28′45.54″N 4°51′56.28″W / 50.4793167°N 4.8656333°W |
| Type | Standing stone ( megalith) |
| History | |
| Material | Shale |
| Periods | Late Neolithic / Early Bronze Age |
| Site notes | |
| Public access | Yes |
St Breock Downs Monolith (or St Breock Longstone; Cornish: Men Gurta [1]) is the largest and heaviest prehistoric standing stone in Cornwall, England. [2] It stands on the summit of St Breock Downs.
Description
The stone is made from the local Devonian shale which has extensive feldspar veining, [3] and it is estimated to weigh around 16.5 tonnes. [1] It is 4.92 metres long [1] and stands to a height of just over 3 metres above ground level. [3] It stands on a low stone mound or cairn with a diameter of around 10 metres. [3] It is believed to be Late Neolithic or Early Bronze Age (around 2500-1500 BC). [1]
It fell over in 1945, and was re-erected in 1956 after a small excavation had been carried out. [3] The excavation showed that the stone stood in a setting of quartz pebbles below which were two small hollows. [1] Similar hollows at other sites have been found to contain human bone or ashes. [1]
The stone may have been associated with other Bronze Age ritual monuments in the area, including one other standing stone, [4] and a series of barrows that extend up to 4 miles (7 km) to the west. [3]
The stone is mentioned in antiquarian records as early as 1613, and was later adopted as a St Breock parish boundary marker. [3] The site is now in the care of the Cornwall Heritage Trust on behalf of English Heritage. [5]
Notes
- ^ a b c d e f Historic England. "St Breock Downs Monolith (430282)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 12 April 2012.
- ^ St Breock Downs Monolith, English Heritage, retrieved 12 April 2012
- ^ a b c d e f History and Research: St Breock Downs Monolith, English Heritage, retrieved 12 April 2012
- ^ Historic England. "St Breock Downs Standing Stone (430297)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 12 April 2012.
- ^ Sites Managed and Cared for by Cornwall Heritage Trust for English Heritage Archived 2012-06-13 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved 12 April 2012
External links
Media related to
St Breock Downs Monolith at Wikimedia Commons
- St Breock Downs Monolith, English Heritage