Exploring history on Madron Moor

The area covered by this walk is an open book on the past. The uncultivated moorlands of the Land’s End Peninsula seem miniscule compared with the wilds of Dartmoor or the rocky bounds of North Wales. Yet these tiny tapestries of heath and granite support some of the most intriguing prehistoric sites in Britain.

The Mên-an-tol

The walk leads to a popular Bronze Age site known as the Mên-an-tol, or 'Stone of the Hole' in prosaic English. This is an alignment of three granite stones, comprising two short uprights to either side of a distinctive round stone pierced by a large hole. It was once known as ‘The Crickstone’, with a claim that by crawling through it ‘cricks’ or aches in the back and neck could be cured. Another claim was that infants who were passed through the stone would be cured of rickets. There are many other fanciful associations, from the Druidic to modern ‘white’ witchcraftery. Enthusiasts still gather at propitious times of the year to commune. In reality, the Mên-an-tol is probably a remnant of a Neolithic-Bronze Age burial chamber or other site, the stones of which were later recycled for buildings elsewhere. According to records, the present stones have been moved and realigned in historical times. It’s perhaps best to wonder about them rather than to worship them.

Ding Dong and beyond

The route leads on to the massive granite engine house of the Greenburrow mine shaft, part of a Victorian tin mine with the cheerful name of Ding Dong. It was so called because of the large bell that was rung to summon the miners to work. Greenburrow contained a huge steam-powered beam engine that operated a pumping system to clear water from deep workings.

From here a path across the moor leads to the Four Parishes Stone, a granite ‘whaleback’ half-buried in the ground, that stands at the juncture of the old local parishes of Morvah, Zennor, Madron and Gulval.

The Men Scryfa

The broad track that takes you back to the car park passes a permissive path that lead to a single standing stone at the centre of a field. This is the Men Scryfa, the ‘written stone’. It is particularly remarkable because of the inscription carved into its surface. This reads ‘Rialobrani Cvnovali Fili’ and is probably a form of dog Latin, in use during the late 5th and early 6th century. A suggested translation is ‘Royal Raven, son of Famous Hound’, referring – possibly – to post-Roman local leaders.

From the parking area, go through a metal side gate next to a larger gate, and follow a broad, stony track between high granite 'hedges'. In about 0.5 miles (800m) pass the ruined buildings of Little Higher Bosullow on the left, with the isolated Coronation House two fields above.

In about 30yds (275m) turn off right over a small slab bridge and a granite stile, and then follow the grassy path to the stones of the Mên-an-tol. Keep straight on beyond the Mên-an-tol, and follow the continuation path to reach a small stream. This can be crossed by a fairly long stride.

Continue uphill through willows and reach a gateway. Ahead is the tall building of Greenburrow Mine.

Turn left at a junction of paths just before Greenburrow Mine stack. Keep straight ahead at the next junction, and follow a path across the moor to a junction of paths beside the Four Parishes Stone. The obvious path that heads east and uphill from the Four Parishes Stone leads to the late neolithic-early Bronze Age stone circle of Boskednan, known also as The Nine Maidens.

On the main route, turn left at the Four Parishes Stone and go through a wide gap. Follow a broad grassy track (may be very wet). Keep left at an indeterminate junction and follow a narrower track between banks and stone hedges. This is often very wet and muddy. There are several escape routes over the bank on the left to a drier, parallel path.

Where the track widens, go over a steep stone stile on the right and visit the Men Scryfa stone. Return to the lane and turn right, eventually passing the access stile to the Mên-an-tol used previously. Continue down the lane to the parking area.