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The Merry Maidens is a Bronze Age stone circle located near Penzance in west Cornwall. The monument comprises nineteen standing stones arranged in a roughly circular formation, with a diameter of approximately 23.5 metres, and dates to the later Bronze Age, probably around 1500 to 1000 BCE. The stones are of modest height, ranging from roughly 0.9 to 1.5 metres, and the circle exhibits the characteristic flattened or irregular shape common to Cornish Bronze Age circles rather than the more regular forms found elsewhere in Britain. The site holds archaeological significance as a well-preserved example of Cornish ritual and ceremonial practice from the later prehistoric period, and it remains one of the more prominent stone circles in the county.
The Merry Maidens (or Dawns Men) stone circle is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1006731. View the official record →
The Merry Maidens is a Bronze Age stone circle located near Penzance in west Cornwall. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1006731.
The Merry Maidens (or Dawns Men) stone circle is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1006731.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Bowl barrow 300m south west of the Merry Maidens Stone Circle (0.3 km), Standing stone 410m south east of Boskenna Cross (0.7 km), Boskenna Cross (0.7 km).
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Research the area around The Merry Maidens (or Dawns Men) stone circle