Welcome
This website documents the work at Carwynnen Quoit in depth. It describes the history of this 5000 year old monument, the recent restoration and excavations, the finds, and the creativity that this rare example of Neolithic life and belief has inspired during the course of the project. We are adding content all the time and holding new events so keep an eye out! You can follow us here to keep up-to-date. Thanks go to Jacky Nowakowski for the archaeological content in this website, and to James Gossip for his practical management. Many of the photographs were taken by these hardworking archaeologists at Cornwall Archaeological Unit, Cornwall Council.
The Giant’s Quoit
In a windswept corner of the Frying Pan Field on the Pendarves Estate in West Cornwall (TR14 9LR, SW6501437213), sat a neglected pile of stones known as Carwynnen Quoit.
With 5,000 years of history, the cromlech has some tales to tell, and even more to inspire. The five acre site was purchased in 2009 by The Sustainable Trust with help from the Heritage Lottery Fund and our partners. Events were held to celebrate, and an art exhibition ‘A Giant Leap’ with free workshops was held in an empty shop in Camborne. We are now delivering a community project around the restoration of the monument.
In the longer term this will include exploring ancient farming methods and ways of life on the land using the restored quoit as a focus. It has been described as ‘A Monument Like No Other’ by our greatest living Cornishman Charles Thomas CBE DL Dlitt FBA FSA.
Fundraising has been successful for the archaeological excavations and restoration phases of the project. A preliminary investigative dig was held in July 2012. Some interesting neolithic finds were made along with more contemporary artefacts.
The Big Dig, a more detailed investigation, started in mid September 2012 and provided a unique community opportunity to excavate this Penwith chamber tomb and inform us about its original construction. More fundraising bids have been successful and the iconic Krommlegh Garwynnon (Cornish) is now being restored for the people of Cornwall.
The site inspires creativity. Novelist Ann Treneer wrote in Up Troon ‘On the moor or standing under the great coping of Carwynnen, personality is dwarfed and petty problems melted away.’ And ‘Because it is in a field, Carwynnen, notwithstanding its powerful upright and grand coping stone, is a little subdued, a little domesticated, a little as though put in a cage to be a specimen, patronised by Pendarves. I used to wonder whether, in a home field, it felt like a Red Indian in an urban villa.’
The restoration education and outreach includes a second film, a downloadable application, the composition and performance of a ballad, an education week in the field, experimental archaeology workshops and a commemorative book.
John Welham, Education Officer for the Cornwall Heritage Trust, has prepared two packs to be used in schools. One was created in 2009 and is about the Giant’s Quoit. It can be downloaded as a PDF.
The second and third packs detailing sites in the vicinity of Treslothan are now available. Part 1 Part 2
One of the most exciting things about archaeology is the finds. Holding an artefact that has been buried for 5000 years is a unique experience. A range of finds with a wide date range were recovered from topsoil and underlying layers representing the very mixed and disturbed nature of these deposits. These included early and late Neolithic flint, much of which comprised burnt, retouched tools and pottery ranging in date from early Neolithic (20 sherds) through to the Late Neolithic, Early/Middle Bronze Age and Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age. This extensive date range illustrates interest in the site throughout the prehistoric period and into more modern times.