Name: Hurlers Stone Circles
Rating: 5.0

Hurlers Stone Circles

Minions, Liskeard, Cornwall PL14 5LE, UK

1-99 Years

Paid

Website

Contact

Message

Description

Hurlers Stone Circles Three fine late Neolithic or early Bronze Age stone circles arranged in a line, a grouping unique in England. Hurlers Stone Circles are probably the best examples of ceremonial circles in the south west. According to legend, they are the remains of men petrified for playing hurling on a Sunday.

Some 150 prehistoric stone circles have been identified in England, of which 16 are to be found on Bodmin Moor, the largest of the Cornish granite uplands. Of these, The Hurlers are the most fascinating. The close grouping of three Late Neolithic or Early Bronze Age stone circles is extremely rare in England, but a grouping of three such regular circles is unique.

Free Entry. If you are looking for Best place for day out with kids and families then this is the perfect destination offering fun, adventure, and unforgettable memories for everyone.

Features

Paid
Host birthday parties: No

Features

History of The Hurlers Stone Circles: Some 150 prehistoric stone circles have been identified in England, of which 16 are to be found on Bodmin Moor, the largest of the Cornish granite uplands. Of these, The Hurlers are the most fascinating. The close grouping of three Late Neolithic or Early Bronze Age stone circles is extremely rare in England, but a grouping of three such regular circles is unique.
The monument, which was excavated in the 1930s, consists of three adjacent stone circles aligned north-east to south-west. To the west is a pair of outlying upright stones standing close together, known as the Pipers.
Of the northern circle 15 original stones are visible, and excavation revealed the buried holes for a further ten, now represented by marker stones. The regular spacing of the stones suggests there would have been five more, giving 30 in all.
A strip of granite paving, found in excavation, ran between this and the central circle.
The central circle, the best preserved of the three, has 14 original stones and 14 markers. All the stones were hammered smooth, and the chippings were deposited nearby. The southern circle, which has not been excavated, is the least well preserved: it has nine original stones of which seven have fallen.
Stone robbing has damaged all the circles to some extent, while the introduction of cattle on to Bodmin Moor has resulted in many of the stones falling over: cows use them as scratching posts, eroding the ground and undermining them.
The small pits visible within the southern and central circles, and a slight bank crossing the central circle, are the remains of post-medieval tin mining.
Description: The monument forms one element in an extensive grouping of later Neolithic and Bronze Age ceremonial and funerary monuments on this part of Bodmin Moor, and the circles are directly aligned with some of these.
The axis through the centres of the two northern circles aligns directly on the massive Rillaton Barrow, visible on the skyline to the north-east, while the axis of the southern pair of circles in turn aligns directly with a prehistoric round cairn to the south-west.
Another line at right angles to this axis through the central circle takes in another stone circle, an embanked avenue and a stone row. Such circles are likely to have had considerable ritual importance for the societies that used them.
A local legend identifies The Hurlers as men who were turned to stone for playing the ancient game of hurling on a Sunday. The two isolated stones of the Pipers are said to be the figures of two men who played tunes on a Sunday and suffered the same fate.

Facilities

Parking: Free parking is available a 1/4 mile walk away from the site.
Food & Drinks: A tea room and shop can be found in the nearby village of Minions.
Dogs: Dogs on leads are wxelcome.

Website

Contact

Price

Price: Paid

Price Details

Free Entry.

Pricing URL: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/hurlers-stone-circles/opening-times/

Birthday Parties

Offer Birthday Parties: No

Open any reasonable time during daylight hours.

Address: Minions, Liskeard, Cornwall PL14 5LE, UK

Post Code: PL14 5LE

Council: Cornwall

County: Cornwall

Road Access: Located 1⁄2 mile NW of Minions, off B3254.
Bus Access: Go Cornwall Bus 78 / 78A from either Liskeard Lloyds Bank or from Launceston Westgate Street. The nearest bus stops to The Hurler’s Stone Circle are Upton Cross or Darite (Crow’s Nest Inn). From either stop it is a 1.7miles / 2.7kms walk. Alternatively, Go Cornwall Bus 74 from either Liskeard Lloyd’s Bank or from Callington New Road to Darite (Crow’s Nest Inn).
Train Access: The nearest station is Liskeard (5.7miles / 9.2kms). It is a walk of 0.6mile / 1.0km to Liskeard Lloyds Bank to catch either Bus 74 or Bus 78 / 78A (see Bus Access).
Bicycle Access: Find this site on The National Cycle Network.
Parking: Free parking is available a 1/4 mile walk away from the site.