STONE CIRCLES 



The five circles in the hundred of West Penwith lie, as we have 

 seen, close together in a district strewn with megalithic remains, and it 

 might be assumed that other moorland districts would also yield examples 

 of this class of monument, but here, in the Carnmenellis region, the 

 Wendron Circles stand alone ; the neighbourhood of Carn Brea is with- 

 out one, also the wide stretch of moor north of St. Austell, and no 

 other is found till we get 10 miles east of Bodmin. 



TRIPPET STONES 



Trippet Stones is the name of a circle standing on Blisland Manor 

 Downs, Bodmin moors, close to the road from Temple to Bradford Bridge; 

 it is in Blisland parish, and the landowner is Mrs. Collins of Blisland 

 Manor House. The diameter is 103 ft.; twelve stones remain out of a 

 possible twenty-six and of these eight only are erect, but the cattle have 

 so worn away the turf and soil round the base of the standing stones that it 

 is to be feared that others will shortly fall, a danger threatening nearly 

 every circle on these moors. The stones are of granite and rather larger 

 than the type prevailing in West Cornwall ; indeed this circle approxi- 

 mates in character to those of Dartmoor. One stone (9) has been broken, 

 and the largest which remains standing (10) measures 5 ft. 2 in. out of 

 the ground. 



There is nothing specially noticeable about the position of the 

 circle, unless it be supposed to have some relation to Stripple Stones, 

 visible across the moor (N. 79 E.), while the Cheesewring on Carbilly 

 Tor makes a conspicuous object on the north-west (N. 57 W.). 



The name Trippet Stones has no reference to any farm near, but 

 is probably descriptive ; in all probability also it is English and not 

 Celtic in its origin. None of the early county historians have mentioned 

 this or any other circle on the Bodmin moors, and it appears that the 

 late J. T. Blight was the first to call attention to it ; he gives a sketch and 

 says that nine stones were standing in 1858, the date ot his book. 1 

 Sir John Maclean refers to it (i873), 2 and Lukis and Borlase 

 (1885) give a plan and sketches of the stones, one of which (u) has 

 fallen since their day. 8 



1 Ancient Crosses, etc., in East Cornwall, 131. * Hist, of the Deanery of Trigg Minor, i. 24. 



3 Prehistoric Monuments, pp. 3-30, pi. vii. 



389 



