Catching the moment - Cornwall

North Cornwall;  Land of the Celtic Saints and prehistoric stones, a strange landscape for it has been industrialised in its past and Bodmin Moor ground is undulating from past diggings. We visited twice, and each time the weather was dour, mists rolling across the moors, the stark deserted buildings with their tall chimneys.  A creative muddle of a hard past as people tried to make a living, and never forget that the Cornish people would like independence from mainstream Britain.

But the sun must have shone for I found one photo with the bluest of skies.  We have a good friend down there, fascinated by the prehistory he has his own small group which 'restores' the stone circles on Bodmin and is at the moment doing work on King Arthur's Hall, a strangely fascinating archaelogical feature that is in need of interpretation.  Large, it is rectangular shaped with standing stones round its perimeter and  these stones and bank surrounds a pond.  Set lonely on the moor with a prehistoric settlement but a twenty minute walk from it, it is an enigma, why rectangular when stone circles seem to predominate. 

Here on the moor you will find the three stone circles called The Hurlers overlooked by the Cheesewring Tor,  not too far from the quarried tor there is the bronze age Rillaton barrow in which a gold cup was found, and just further along hidden in a jumble of rocks, is the remains of Daniel Gumb's cave home.

Famous cromlechs such as Trevethy and Lanyon Quoit and the exquisite little quartz stone circle of Duloe and not too far from it a 'sacred' well.

There are disappointing aspects to Cornwall, too many tourists and such famous places as 'Jamaica Inn' well don't go there if you remember the drama, it is a dull building.

King Arthur's Hall

Unknown church

Celtic crosses

Moor ponies near the car park

Daniel Gumb's 'cave' with the mathematical equations carved on the top, he carved gravestones for a living.

Here I lie by the churchyard door
Here I lie because I'm poor
The further in, the more you pay
But here lie I as warm as they.

Chief sitting below the Cheesewring

Trevethy cromlech

Lanyon Quoit

Part of The Hurlers

A happy time

Duloe Stone Circle

Rillaton barrow, gold cup resides in the British Museum

Jamaica Inn