Miserable weather at Lanyon Quoit, early September 1997...
...and the weather got worse
Probably the
most well known and instantly recognisable prehistoric monument in Cornwall,
Lanyon Quoit is however not in its original form. This impressive Neolithic
dolmen or chambered
tomb is easily accessible being signposted next to the road from Madron
and stands a short distance from both Chun
Quoit and the Men-an-Tol.
Like many other tombs the mound of stone and rubble that would have surrounded and partially covered the uprights and capstone has been almost entirely removed making its original shape difficult to determine. There may in fact be two or three monuments here, to the south a spread of stones are thought to be remains of burial cists recorded by William Borlase in 1872 but by then the site had already been badly damaged. During a storm in 1815 the stones of Lanyon Quoit collapsed, leading to the tomb being restored in 1824. However, only three of the uprights now remain, as one of the stones was broken during the restoration process.
Legend says that a giants bones were found in the tomb, hence its alternative names of Giants Quoit or Giants Table.
Like many other tombs the mound of stone and rubble that would have surrounded and partially covered the uprights and capstone has been almost entirely removed making its original shape difficult to determine. There may in fact be two or three monuments here, to the south a spread of stones are thought to be remains of burial cists recorded by William Borlase in 1872 but by then the site had already been badly damaged. During a storm in 1815 the stones of Lanyon Quoit collapsed, leading to the tomb being restored in 1824. However, only three of the uprights now remain, as one of the stones was broken during the restoration process.
Legend says that a giants bones were found in the tomb, hence its alternative names of Giants Quoit or Giants Table.
