ON THE AGE OF STONE CIRCLES. 37] 
The Stannon Circle is situated at the following distances from the 
neighbouring circles : The Stripple Stones, 16,770 feet (about 3} miles), 
8.E. ; the Trippet Stones, 16,350 feet (over 3 miles), S.S.E. ; the Leaze 
Circle, 9,530 feet (about 14 mile), S.E.; the Fernacre Circle, 6,270 feet 
(9 furlongs), E. A line connecting Stannon Circle with the summit of 
Brown Willy is only 2° N. of E., and the Fernacre Circle falls only 
100 feet to the S. of this line. 
2. Description of the Circle-—The plan encloses an area 165 feet due 
N. and 8. by 157 feet E. and W., the ground covering about 0°6 acre. 
The contours of 6 inches vertical height show a gradual fall of 8} feet 
from the highest ground in the 8.E. corner to the lowest at the N.W. 
The surveying was greatly impeded by the luxurious growth of gorse in 
most parts of the circle.'_ Much had to be cut away for our purposes, and 
there was considerable difficulty in revealing the true outline of many 
of the prostrate stones, and in some cases, either on account of the 
abundance of gorse or from the fact that some of the stones were entirely 
clothed in turf, only the approximate outline of the granite blocks could 
be delineated on the plan. 
Details of the dimensions and position of the stones have been care- 
fully recorded. As in the case of the Fernacre Circle, the stones at 
Stannon could never have been placed in the form of a true circle. 
Indeed the Stannon stones deviate much more from a true circle than 
those at Fernacre. The nearest approximation to a segment of a circle 
in the case of Stannon is on the S.,S.E., and E. By far the greatest 
amount of flattening of the circle occurs on the N., while at the N.W. 
there is almost an angle formed by the position of the stones. 
The N.W. quarter of the circle shows the best line of stones still erect, 
and had not Stones LXXI and LXXIT fallen outwards there would 
have been twelve stones standing in sequence in their original position, 
apparently without any deficiencies between. 
Of the seventy-nine stones shown in the circle and within it in my 
plan, forty-one are standing (including stumps), the remainder being 
prostrate or partly sunk into the peat, whilst others could only be indi- 
cated on the plan after probing, digging, or gorse-cutting. 
The highest standing-stones are close together on the S.W. ; Nos. LVI 
and LIX are each 3°55 feet above the field level, and No. LII is 3:1 feet 
in height. Stone LXIV leans outwards considerably, but when erect its 
height was probably 3°8 feet. Of the prostrate stones Nos. XX XVIII 
and IX are the longest, the lengths being 5:8 and 5:5 feet respectively. 
These are closely followed by Nos. XIII, VII, and V, with lengths of 
5°35, 5:3, and 5:2 feet respectively. The widest stone in the circle is 
No. LXIV, width 4:5 feet ; this is closely followed by Nos. LII and IX, 
4-4 and 4 feet wide respectively. 
A circle has been described on the plan which, although including the 
somewhat flattened portion on the N. well within its area, is mediate for 
the stones on the E., S., and W. It gives a diameter of 138 feet. 
3. Outlying Stone.—At 30° E. of N., as observed from the centre of 
the circle, there is an outlying stone (N o. LX XX of plan) at a distance 
of 25 feet from the nearest part of the circle described on the plan, and 
94 feet from the centre of the circle. This standing-stone probably 
belongs to this group of stones. It leans in a N.E. direction towards 
! See photographs. 
