Merry Maidens

Situated next to the Newlyn to Land's End road is one of the most accessible complete (well believed to be) stone circles in Cornwall. The Merry Maidens comprises of 19 stones that form a full circle, although there is a small gap that could have been the entrance or possibly where there was another stone. Each of the stones are around 1 metre high. The name of the circle seems to derive from the legend that the stones were maidens who were turned to stone for dancing on a sunday. Nearby are two Menhir or standing stones named the Pipers as if they were the musicians who played the music that the maidens danced to.

West Cornwall is a fantastic area for monuments of this kind and we would ask visitors to enjoy and respect them in the same way as they have been for 3-4000 years.