Tash Cutts (Member no: 1764)

Cornwall

I was lucky enough to visit Lanyon Quoit, Mên-An-Tol, Mulfra Quoit, and Merry Maidens stone circle (and to document the trip on expired film)

Inspired by Stone Club and Passage Tomb, I was keen to spend my Christmas exploring the stones that West Cornwall had to offer. 

My grandparents moved to Mousehole in their 50s (my granny was from Cambourne), and I spent every Summer visiting them when I was growing up - they were my fondest childhood memories and Cornwall has always been a huge part of my identity. My mum moved down to the village to help care for them 14 years ago, so now it’s become my home too. It’s always the place my brain feels calmest, and the first port of call when life feels overwhelming.

Since my grandparents have passed away, I really wanted to spend time connecting with Cornwall’s history. Their bookshelves were always full of interesting stories of Cornish Saints and Sinners and old folk tales, so sacred stones seemed like a natural place to start. I found a paper map of West Cornwall in a charity shop, and planned my route of all the stones I wanted to visit during the Christmas break. First up was Boscawen-Ûn, a Bronze Age circle not too far from Mousehole. After blindly following my sat nav, I ended up stumbling into a farm but was thankfully pointed in the right direction. A small trail soon opened up at the stone circle, and it was such an overwhelming feeling of simultaneous calm and excitement. Walking amongst stones that had stood the test of time, but had also meant so much to so many during their history was an amazing experience.

In the following few days I was lucky enough to visit Lanyon Quoit, Mên-An-Tol, Mulfra Quoit, and Merry Maidens stone circle (and to document the trip on expired film), but a particular favourite was Tresvennack Pillar. At nearly 4 metres tall, the stone pillar stands alone in the middle of farmland. It feels both humble in its isolation, but also like it’s protecting the fields it overlooks. I can’t wait to go back home and continue the stone hunt, and explore more of the place that is so important to me. Chûn Quoit is next on the list.