West Penwith Alignments List West Penwith Alignments List From the Map of Ancient Sites and Alignments in West Penwith www.ancientpenwith.org/map-alignments-penwith.html ALIGNMENTS IN WEST PENWITH (THE LAND'S END PENINSULA) CORNWALL After the original work by John Michell, a compilation was made by RAYMOND COX in association with CHERYL STRAFFON and PALDEN JENKINS. The revised list below reflects the work of Palden Jenkins using modern technology and is placed into three categories, Backbone, Long Distance and local. For a small area of about ten miles by five West Penwith has a remarkably large and varied amount of extant ancient monuments. It is a unique area, even for Cornwall, with a gripping and enfolding atmosphere, revealing the ambient presence of both the historic and the prehistoric. It's not just the ancient sites but the very structure of the landscape itself which produces this feeling, such as the granite flower-covered hedges, ancient fields, tors and the old sunken trackways. In addition, myth, legend, romance, folklore - all seem to gather here around the grey stones. The north of the region consists of a granite plateau with strange rocky tors and a few isolated stunted trees on the moors, and a lower coastal shelf of small fields bounded by stone walls. These fields may have been in continuous use since the Bronze Age. Evidence of tin mining remains with the ruins of the engine houses and other features. The southern and western parts of the peninsula are mainly farmland with fields and hedges divided by lush, tree-covered narrow valleys, producing a stark contrast to the higher moorland. THE ALIGNMENTS The alignments link ancient sites but contain both prehistoric and more modern sites, such as boundary stones and churches. They also incorporate natural features such as headlands. There are, of course, likely to be some coincidental links in such a small area. However, the smaller the area the more exact can be the lines. John Michell's alignments were found to be mostly accurate, the average width being 3.28ft.(1 metre), with a maximum of 22.97ft.(7 metres). (Michell used 1:10,000 maps.) Sites include tumuli, standing stones (menhirs), stone circles, Iron Age courtyard house settlements (unique to the Peninsula), hillforts (though these can cover larger areas of ground), cairns, wayside crosses of the Dark Ages and the early Christian era, wells, parish churches, stretches of ancient tracks and parish boundaries, which include boundary stones. (See note below on boundary stones). There appears to be certain nodal sites having at least 4 alignments through each site. Many of the alignments have 4 or more sites such as: Carfury menhir; Boscawen-un Stone Circle; (Early in the 20th century Norman Lockyer found significance in this circle for astronomical observation, and both he and Alexander Thom in other sites.); Merry Maidens Stone Circle; Tresvennack Pillar menhir; The Pipers menhirs; site of the missing Brea menhir; Redhouse 1 menhir; King Arthur's Stone; Tregeseal Stone Circle; Bosiliack barrow; West Lanyon Quoit; Drift menhirs; Trelew menhir; Tregiffian Vean Entrance Grave. There could be additional stones other than those in the list such as stones yet to be identified, stones in hedges, or stones used as animal rubbing stones or used as gateposts. Identifying such stones can be difficult in a landscape which is full of stones. There is also the question of missing or destroyed stones, as well as stones which today are not in their original locations. Some of the alignments may cross through such unidentified stones. 1 West Penwith Alignments List BOUNDARY STONES: There are fourteen parishes in West Penwith and there are numerous boundary stones. There is the feeling of these stones being subsumed into the more prehistoric atmosphere of the land and becoming part of the older stones. Certainly they should be considered as part of the study of alignments and not dismissed simply because they do not reflect a certain attraction or mystique as do the much older monuments. Their purpose is, of course, known. The parish boundaries were created in the 12th century, but they often followed more ancient trackways. Indeed, some of the boundary stones may have been more ancient stones which were then used as boundary stones and then had their parish letters put into them. In such ways the historic and the prehistoric are joined. Whether or not the old stones actually retain memory, as some people believe, they do seem to offer a certain community with the people of the past. It is perhaps especially potent when the more recent past, represented by the boundary stones, is linked with the more distant past. The list is of alignments - the straight line linking of sites. They are not necessarily leys, in whatever understanding that designation pertains to, such as, for example, the concept of mystical lines of subtle energies across the landscape. List headings: JM = alignments found by John Michell originally documented in his book The Old Stones of Land’s End MM = originally reported and discussed in Meyn Mamvro EMG = Cheryl Straffon: The Earth Mysteries Guide to Ancient Sites in West Penwith RC = additional alignments by Raymond Cox DC = additional alignments by David Cheepen PJ = additional alignments by Palden Jenkins, plus amendments KP = additional alignments by Kenny Price Abbreviations: OWP = Outside West Penwith IOS = Isles of Scilly AZ = Azimuth NF = Natural Feature Q – Quoitline LP – Lamorna Plateau KE – Kerrier/Lizard/East Penwith SC - Scilly ======================== 2 West Penwith Alignments List NOTES: 1. OS Grid references are not given, though these can all be obtained from http://ancientpenwith.org/maps.html and clicking on any site on the ancient sites map or alignments map. 2. The lines through some sites such as chambered tombs, barrows, hillforts ,etc.do not pass through their centres but often along the outer edges. This is a feature found with similar monuments in other areas of the country. 3. A leeway has been made of about 3 metres (9ft.10ins.) from the line for a site to be included. 4. Monuments with only two sites but reckoned to feature in astronomical alignments are not listed. Other astronomical alignments are noted. 5. Some of the monuments have been given names, taken from Meyn Mamvro, John Barnatt (Prehistoric Cornwall), and other sources. These names can be of the local area or farm etc. 6.The long-distance lines, such as the Michael/Mary and Athena lines, and the E-line (found by Eileen Roche in the 1990s) which cross the peninsula, are not listed. Also not listed is the phenomenon of the long-distance ‘Parallel Lines’, (Meyn Mamvro issue 3, 1987, reported by B.S.McMillan). They have a bearing of 68.5 east of north. 35 such lines cross the Peninsula, passing through prehistoric sites. 7.There is no significance in the chronological order of the list. Alignments have also been grouped to correspond to certain features and these can be studied using Palden Jenkins’s maps on his website. (See www.ancientpenwith.org) 8.Azimuths (AZ). With each alignment its Azimuth has been provided by Palden Jenkins. This records degrees and decimals of degrees from True North, measured clockwise or eastwards. The given angle will be pertinent to rising points of sun, moon and stars, given a level horizon, as at sea level. To calculate setting points simply add 180 degrees to the given figure. However, locally to any ancient site the vertical angle of the horizon in relation to the viewer will change the azimuth for the rising or setting of heavenly bodies at that place. 9.After each azimuth, the length of the line is given in kms. NB. The list should not be regarded as definitive, as it is always subject to amendments or additions. Notification of these is welcome. Contact [email protected] ==================================================================================== 3 West Penwith Alignments List Backbone and Long-distance Alignments Backbone Alignments Treryn Dinas cliff sanctuary and Treryn Circle camp - Treryn Dinas menhir - Pendrea Farm stone - Boscawen-ûn stone circle 37 Treryn Dinas - Nine Maidens - Goldherring 2 Barrow (SE edge) - Newham Farm menhir - (Sancreed Well) - Lanyon Quoit - Bosiliack Barrow chambered cairn - Nine Maidens NW menhir. AZ=12.0°. 13.7km. Reported in Meyn Mamvro. Cape Cornwall cliff sanctuary - Carn Eanes menhir - Higher Trevowhan menhir - (Watchcroft Cairns) - Carn Galva (saddle) - (Bosporthennis Quoit) - Trewey tumulus - Zennor Hill - (Wicca Round) - St Ives Head cliff sanctuary - Godrevy Stones (reef, 54 Cape Cornwall - Stripple Stones above sea level during neolithic/bronze age) - St Agnes Head headland - Chywoone Praze settlement - (Pencarrow Rounds hill camp) - Stripple Stones stone circle. AZ=58.6°. 90.3km. Aligned to the Moon's northern lunar minimum rising point. Reported in Meyn Mamvro, modified and extended by Palden Jenkins. Carn Lês Boel cliff sanctuary - Carn Lês Boel cairn - Money Rock boulder cairn - (Boscawen-ûn stone circle) - Boscawen-ûn barrow - Boscawen-ûn hedge menhir - Lesingey Round hill camp - Roscadghill Round - Fenton Saurus holy well - Trevarnon 55 Carn Lês Boel - Stanon Circle 1 Round (NW edge) - Crigamennis 1 barrow - Piran's Round (SE side) - Twelve Barrows 7 & 8 - Men Gurta menhir - Stanon Circle (Rough Tor) stone circle. AZ=50.8°. 95.5km. Oriented to the sun's summer solstice rising point. Reported in Meyn Mamvro, modified and extended by Kenny Price and Palden Jenkins. St Michael's Mount cliff sanctuary - Trencrom Hill neolithic tor - Trelyon cairn - St Ives Head cliff sanctuary. Almost due 59 St Michael's Mount - St Ives Head north-south: AZ=0.7°. 11.4km. Reported in Meyn Mamvro. Cape Cornwall cliff sanctuary - Botrea B Barrow - Caergwidden Round - (Lesingey Round) - St Michael's Mount cliff 77 Cape Cornwall - St Michael's Mount sanctuary/neolithic tor.