A quick stopover on our way along the coast, the Merry Maidens are one of the few ‘true’ stone circles in Cornwall. Their name has inspired folk tales of dancing maidens turned to stone for merrymaking on the Sabbath. This could reflect long preserved memories of rituals carried out at the site, or more recent attempts by the church to impose a particular morality on the local population and deter them from surviving pagan practices.

To visit, park in the small car park directly next to the circle (50°03’53.7″N 5°35’24.7″W). There are a few other sites nearby too: