Cornwall's Hidden History Blog
The secluded Fernacre Stone Circle is one of the largest of Cornwall’s ancient circles. And, along with its near neighbour Stannon Circle, is also one of the oldest and the most northerly on Bodmin Moor. Interestingly it has also been suggested that this particular stone circle was quite literally pivotal in the positioning of many […]
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“The moor was a mountain seething with magma; the magma cooled and hardened and its name was granite.” William Atkins, The Moor, 2014 The eastern side of Bodmin Moor has a fine collection of spectacular tors. High ridges of undulating, castellated rocks or jutting outcrops of weatherworn granite rise abruptly above the horizon. Hawk’s, Kilmar, […]
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There are over nine hundred stone circles across the British Isles. Roughly twenty or so of those can be found in Cornwall. However, it is almost impossible for us to know exactly how many such monuments were actually built by our ancestors. An unknown number of circles have been lost or destroyed in the thousands […]
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“The walker in this strange, forgotten country . . . will find that he has escaped into a new dimension, into a solitude and peace that defy the close proximity of the contemporary world . . . it is a wilderness in miniature, full of contrasts.” E. C. Axford, Bodmin Moor The vast granite upland […]
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In early Autumn 1818 Jane Burnard, the wife of Altarnun’s stonemason, gave birth to a son. Neville Northey Burnard was christened that November. He was the eldest child in the family and is described as being a beautiful child ‘with a head of golden curls’. This boy was destined for fame, excellence and wealth but […]
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“These simple but powerful relics of the past will turn anyone into a romantic.” E. C. Axford, 1975 The moors are my escape. I find contentment there whatever the season, even on the wettest and wildest of days. A few days ago it was one of those sunny days when the fluffy white clouds seem […]
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Finding remains that can be irrefutably linked with the Kings of Cornwall is difficult. It feels as if these men have almost completely disappeared into the mists of time. Forgotten by history and the population they once ruled over. Mythical kings , such as Arthur, have taken their place. But these kings were real men. […]
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Perhaps Cornwall’s oldest tourist attraction, the Cheesewring has been drawing people to the lonely moors near Bodmin for centuries. This dramatic granite rock formation can be found halfway up the west side of Stowes Hill. Completely natural, this monument is the result of thousands of years of weathering. Many other similar rock formations can be […]
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King Arthur’s connections to Cornwall are long-standing and rather tangled. I have to admit that sometimes I find this connection frustrating, because his myth often seems to over ride the true history of the county. Tintagel being the perfect example of this. However, there are two sites on Bodmin Moor which bear his name that […]
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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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