Lanyon Quoit, Ding Dong Moor, Nine Maidens, Men Scryfa and Men-an-tol

High on the moor beyond stands the unmistakable tall chimney of one of the cheerfully named Ding Dong Mines, now skilfully restored and quite safe to explore. The mine itself, properly named Greenborough, is an old and famous tin mine and has been worked since Roman times.

Although only a small rise is made from this point to the Nine Maidens stone circle, the full desolation and remoteness of the moor makes itself felt. The view from the top of the moor stretches to both north and south coastlines of the Cornish Peninsula.

Today, only seven of the stones remain standing, most leaning alarmingly, and one is all but prone. Excavation of this site in 1872 revealed the fragments of a Bronze Age urn dated somewhere between 1500 and 1000 BC. Further along the crest, the standing stones of another formation are visible amongst the bracken.

The path descends to take you along some walled lanes, and you pass several ruined farm buildings before reaching the inscribed stone of Men Scryfa. The solitary finger of rock carries the inscription 'RIALOBRANICUNOVLI FILI'.This latinized form of the Celtic language translates as "Royal Raven, son of the glorious Prince". A royal prince killed in battle is thought to be buried hereabouts.

Perhaps the most curious and fascinating of all these standing stones is the strangely rounded and holed stone of 'Men-an-tol'. As so often with such unexplained phenomena, magical properties have long been ascribed to this curious collection of rocks. Powers of healing or fertility are supposedly bestowed on those who crawl through the hole.

The walk continues pleasantly down the lane and easily back along the road to Lanyon Quoit. Observe the Cornish hedges forming the boundaries, constructed from both stone and soil. They are covered with a profusion of tiny flowers in summer and are particularly attractive to wall brown butterflies.