Cornwall's Hidden History Blog
When I first read about Merther Uny I was intrigued. I was fascinated to see this ruined place. A place that had once been so important. A site of peace and pilgrimage. It is still a peaceful place today. Isolated down a dead-end farm track and hidden in a shady glade above a wooded valley. […]
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Hidden deep in woodland above the River Fowey is what remains of Largin Castle. It sits on the top of a steep ridge that towers above the Glynn Valley, and is the perfect spot for a defensive structure. But Largin was no Roman outpost or ‘motte and bailey’ affair. This ‘castle’ was built in the […]
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The vast majority of our ancient monuments in Cornwall are quite plain. They may be dramatic in their setting, their age or their size but they often demonstrate to us the effects of the elements more than the mark of the hands that built them. There are, however, a few exceptions to this. Places in […]
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I recently visited what I consider to be one of the most enigmatic places on Bodmin Moor. So special that I actually considered not sharing it with you! Every once in a while there are locations in Cornwall you just want to selfishly keep to yourself. For me Buttern Hill is one of those. Buttern […]
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The idea that the ancient stones scattered about Cornwall are the monumental remains of an ancient society, who’s motivations and ideas, are now a mystery to us has always fascinated me. As I have mentioned before whenever we had any free time when I was a child my father would take us to see a […]
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Trewardreva fogou can be found in a quiet field just outside the village of Constantine. This hidden site is a long way from the Penwith where the majority of the known fogous can be found. Also known as the Piskey Hall this fogou is a little smaller than the ones at Boleigh or Halliggye, but […]
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I spend much of my time writing about and photographing the ancient monuments that our ancestors have left behind in the Cornish landscape. There are many well-known and enigmatic sites that captivate us, places that are the subject of the most study and the ones most likely to end up on Instagram! It isn’t very […]
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Dramatically situated on the cliffs close to Cape Cornwall, Ballowal Barrow is a unique monument. This ancient tomb was once the final resting place for Bronze Age man. And is actually part of a complex of burial cairns and cists in use from the Late Neolithic, around 5000 years ago. The monument would have been […]
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The narrow lane to Boleigh fogou takes you by surprise. Tucked away on a bend, just after the turning to Lamorna Cove, the entrance is narrow and one side lined with large granite boulders. Up until yesterday I had never been here before. The fact that you must pre-arrange a time to come and see […]
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You might say that this post is a little bit overdue. When I visited the stone circles in The Gambia, West Africa however, back in 2007, I didn’t have this outlet to describe and share what I had seen. Wassu Stone Circles: Credit Richard Williams The stones circles of the Gambia and Senegal are a […]
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