Fascinating Places: Land’s End

This unique balance is demonstrated in two ways.  West Penwith is certainly in line for the distinction of being on the World Heritage List and it is also the site of many ongoing research projects involving the ancient sites and megalithic stones in the area.

Astronomy

At the turn of the twentieth century, Sir Norman Lockyer chose the megaliths of West Penwith as one of his study areas while developing his work on archaeo-astronomy. 

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He observed that from the Tregeseal stone circle (pictured above), the May Day sun rise could be seen rising behind a tall standing stone called the Longstone, who’s tip is visible because it juts up from behind a ridge to the northeast of the site. 

In recent times, researchers have directly witnessed unsuspected astronomical events at West Penwith sites.  The peninsula’s best preserved stone circle is Boscawen-un and has a leaning pillar stone set off center within the ring. 

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It points to the northeast and is confirmed that it indicate the rising midsummer sun when viewed from its base.  Faint axe head carvings on the stone are thrown into strongest relief by the lighting of that particular sunrise.  One of the 19 stones is a pure quartz stone that is named the moon stone, probably because of the facts that it seems to almost glow in the moonlight.

Another example of modern astronomical discovery involves the Neolithic stone chamber or dolmen of Chun Quoit.

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Chun Quoit is an isolated monument on a broad expanse of high moorland.  It is situated exactly in the right position for the midwinter sun to appear to set into a notch on a natural outcrop called Kenidjack (below), which stands prominently on the southwestern skyline as viewed from the Chun Quoit dolmen (above).