Two kinds of monument
Cornwall has a large number of prehistoric stone monuments, and two types in particular are easy to confuse. A menhir, or standing stone, is a single upright stone, sometimes tall and slender and sometimes short and stout. A quoit is a stone burial chamber, with upright slabs supporting one large capstone. Elsewhere in Britain a similar monument might be called a dolmen or a portal tomb, but in Cornwall the local word quoit is used.
Neither type is unique to Cornwall. Similar monuments occur across Atlantic Europe, including Wales, Ireland and Brittany. What stands out in Cornwall is how many survive in the harder granite landscapes, especially in the far west and on Bodmin Moor. Stone circles, such as the Hurlers stone circles, are a separate category covered elsewhere.
Quoits
The best-known Cornish quoits are in west Penwith and on the moor. Lanyon Quoit, near Madron, is a frequently photographed example. It is known to have collapsed in the early nineteenth century and was rebuilt, so its appearance today is not exactly the original. Chûn Quoit, Zennor Quoit and Trethevy Quoit near St Cleer are other widely cited examples. Trethevy is notable for its tall, narrow form and for a hole in the capstone, the purpose of which is uncertain.
Quoits are generally assigned to the Neolithic, in the broad range of about 4000 to 3000 BC, though dating individual examples is difficult. They are thought to be the stone skeletons of tombs that were once buried under earth or stone mounds. Over time the covering eroded or was removed, leaving the stone frame standing. Whether the mounds were always complete, or whether some chambers were visible from the outset, is debated.
Burials were probably communal and may have been added to over many generations. Acidic soils mean bones rarely survive in Cornwall, so we know little about who was placed in these tombs or how they were selected. Finds from excavations have tended to be modest, such as pottery fragments and worked flint.
Menhirs
Single standing stones are widespread, often on ridges, near tracks, or beside later field boundaries. Many are Bronze Age in date, though this is often an assumption based on similar monuments rather than on firm dating. Some are tall; others are only knee height. Their possible functions include:
- Markers along routes or between territories.
- Memorials to individuals or groups.
- Ritual focus points, perhaps tied to seasonal events.
- Parts of vanished monuments, such as a former circle or row that has largely been removed.
Because a stone can easily be moved, reused or re-erected, the age of a standing stone in a field can be uncertain. In Cornwall, farmers sometimes used large stones as gateposts, and the practice of building Cornish hedges around earlier features means that some old stones were incorporated into boundaries.
Holed stones and later reuse
A few stones have holes bored or naturally weathered through them. The Mên-an-Tol in west Cornwall, with its round hole between two upright stones, is the best-known case. Folk practices connected to passing through such holes, often for health, were recorded in later centuries. These traditions are interesting in their own right but should not be taken as evidence for the stone’s original purpose.
Prehistoric stones were also reused in later periods. Some early medieval inscribed stones and wayside crosses were carved from or placed near older uprights, and the line between a prehistoric menhir and a later cross base can be blurred. Local tradition frequently added Christian meaning to older sites.
What we know about the builders
The people who raised these stones were farming communities who had the labor and organization to move heavy blocks, probably from nearby outcrops or loose boulders on the surface. Cornwall’s granite and weathered tors provided suitable material. Moving and lifting a capstone would have required many people working together, using ropes, levers and possibly timber ramps, though experiments suggest several methods were possible and we cannot say which was used.
Beyond this, much remains unknown. We do not know their language or beliefs. We cannot say with confidence why quoits were built at particular places, though they often sit on prominent spots with wide views and close to springs or rock outcrops. Orientations toward the sun, moon or particular horizon features have been proposed for some monuments, but such claims are typically hard to test.
Stories attached to the stones
Many stones carry folk tales. Some are said to be people turned to stone, some to be giants’ playthings, and some are said to move at night to drink. Such stories were recorded long after the stones were raised. They show how later communities made sense of the monuments and are often grouped under Cornish legends or Cornish folklore, but they are not historical evidence about the builders.
Seeing them respectfully
Many quoits and menhirs stand on farmland or open moor, sometimes with only a footpath. Check access before visiting, stay on marked routes, close gates and avoid climbing or leaning on the stones, especially quoit capstones, which can be unstable. Use a footpath map, and be aware that weather on high ground changes quickly. A respectful visit leaves the monument and surrounding land exactly as you found them.