Trowlesworthy Warren
Stones circles and rows
SX 577 640
Make your way to Cadover Bridge via the little lanes passing the turn off for Brisworthy. At the bridge turn left on the no through road and follow the road to the car park at the end near a medieval cross beside the china clay quarry.
The medieval cross and view towards the circles
The car park is almost exactly opposite the circles on the hillside beneath the rock outcrop but the ground between is boggy and there is a small ravine in the peat in the middle. Take the footpath opposite the car park entrance and head to the quarry road that runs NE along a long rectangular pool. Follow this road to the end of the pool and turn left and follow the leat north. This will take you right to the main circle and row, the leat actually cuts through the row.
The stone avenue approaching the circle and the section beyond the leat
The stone avenue is 130m long and stretches from the bottom of the slope gently uphill, being cut through by the leat on the way. The stones in the row are quite large at up to 1m and the avenue is about 1.4m wide.
You come to the east ring first and it is a small circle in good condition. It is made up of 8 stones, the tallest reaching 1.3m and has a diameter of 22ft (6.8m). The stones lean outwards slightly creating a very attractive setting with the hillside and tor behind.
The circle and avenue
If you walk west along the leat you will come to a stone slab acting as a bridge for the animals grazing here, beyond it you will see the second row about 100m away.
The second row
This stone row is about 80m long and leads up to a small circle. Most of the small stones are buried in moss and bracken but a few are visible. We counted 7 small boulders. The row ends with a substantial triangular shaped terminal stone that is over 4ft (1.2m).
The small circle in the bracken
From this side of the leat you can find the rest of the stone avenue further back.
Oct
2001
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