A HISTORY OF CORNWALL 



shows the same stones standing then as now ; but of the nine stones 

 then prostrate five have disappeared. 



WENDRON 



Four miles south of Redruth, on the road to Helston, is a piece of 

 waste land called Nine Maidens Downs, and at the southern end of this 

 in a grass field, close to two cottages, are the remains of two circles, 

 known locally as the Nine Maidens. They are situated in Wendron 

 parish, and as ' Nine Maidens ' is a generic term they are usually dis- 

 tinguished by the name of the Wendron Circles. Five stones remain in 

 the southern and smaller circle and only three in the other. The southern 

 circle probably had a diameter of 5 1 ft. and consisted of about fourteen 

 stones ; those that remain are of granite and well cut, though the largest 

 is only 3 ft. 8 in. high. Another stone once stood at the point marked 

 (a) in plan E; it was subsequently removed to (b), and has now dis- 

 appeared. A hedge crosses this circle, but there do not appear to be 

 any more stones in the hedge or on the north side of it, in land formerly 

 waste, but now enclosed and cultivated. The northern circle is repre- 

 sented by three stones built into hedges, but in Dr. Borlase's day there 

 were ten of them ; it was perhaps 60 ft. in diameter. 



Dr. Borlase's account is contained in his MS. Parochial Memoirs 

 (1738) quoted by Lukis and Borlase. 1 He tells us that there were ' two 

 incomplete Circles of stones erect, the southernmost having 8 large stones 

 from 4 to 7 feet high still standing ; one or two gone ; the other larger 

 in circumference, having 10 stones still to be seen, two of which are 

 large and tall ; most of the rest fallen.' Hals is quaint and inaccurate 

 as usual. He says : ' In another part of this parish, by the post road, or 

 highway, are set up, in perpendicular manner, about ten feet asunder 

 in a line, nine large moor stones commonly called the Nine Maids, 

 or Virgin Sisters ; probably set up in memory of so many sister nuns 

 heretofore interred there.' 8 Lukis and Borlase give plan, sketches and 

 description of these monuments. 



There are no menhirs near to or visible from this place ; a 

 barrow stood 20 or 30 yards to the west and another is to be seen 

 on a hill, called Hangman's Barrow, about 1,000 yards in the same 

 direction. 



1 Prehistoric Monuments, 29. 



' D. Gilbert, Paroch. Hist, of Cornwall (1838), ii. 137. 

 388 



