St Breock Downs Monolith
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.
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 |
| Type | Standing stone (megalith) |
| History | |
| Material | Shale |
| Periods | Late Neolithic / Early Bronze Age |
| Site notes | |
| Public access | Yes |
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
- Historic England. "St Breock Downs Monolith (430282)". PastScape. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
- St Breock Downs Monolith, English Heritage, retrieved 12 April 2012
- History and Research: St Breock Downs Monolith, English Heritage, retrieved 12 April 2012
- Historic England. "St Breock Downs Standing Stone (430297)". 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
- St Breock Downs Monolith, English Heritage