The megalithic polo mint

As promised, here is what must surely be one of the oddest megalithic survivals in the land.

The origins of the Men-an-Tol (Cornish for stone - of the - hole) are lost in history, the favoured explanation being that they once formed a stone circle, perhaps with the holed stone in the centre, but were moved to mark a burial chamber entrance. More recently, parents used to pass their children three times through the 'polo mint' hole in order to cure rickets. Many years ago, we too encouraged our children (little persuasion needed!) to pass themselves through the hole and I'm pleased to report that they never did develop rickets.

When the site was first properly surveyed in 1749, the stones were not in line, but by 1864 they had been neatly arranged in their present formation.  Victorian passion for order, perhaps.

A short walk from the Men-an-Tol brought me to yet another standing stone - Men Scyfa (stone enscribed). The inscription, which proved hard to photograph clearly in heavy shadow, reads Rialobrani Cunovali fili. "That's not Cornish," I hear you say, and you'd be quite right.  It dates from the Early Medieval period (1000-1300AD) and means "Rialobranus son of Cunovalus," though who this father and son were, we may never know.

This illustration from Lake's Parochial History (1868) shows the writing more clearly than any photo of mine. Lake also records: "A miner, who had heard that crocks of gold were occasionally found under stone pillars, dug around the inscribed stone until he nearly lost his life by the fall of the huge mass. It was replaced in its original position about the year 1862."  Clearly he had a thing or two to lean about mining!

Finally, to round off my circular walk, here's the view as I approached the car park from the coast side,with the mighty Carn Galver in the background.