34. Cornwall District - The South End and the Merry Maiden's Stone Circle

Getting around Cornwall has been easy as their public transport system enables you to have unlimited travel per day for £5 each. (AUD 9.50)

We decided to do a loop around the most southern part of the UK starting and ending back in St Ives.

The bus drivers here have to be commended. They actually drive double-decker buses through these narrow streets. I lost count as to how many times oncoming cars had to stop and reverse until the road was wide enough for two vehicles to pass each other. 

This was the view of the road from the upper level of the bus. The bus was literally skimming both sides of the vegetation on the road. We drew in our shoulders and held our breath each time. 

The trip took us through Penzance (yet to explore), Merry Maiden's Stone Circle,  Land's End, Sennen Cove, Carnyorth and back to St Ives.

Apart from the Stone Circle stop, it was a recon mission to see if we wanted to stay anywhere else in this part of the UK. We realised we landed in a good spot in St Ives and we will do day trips from here. Penzance is on our list but to be honest, we are quite comfortable staying in this village. As small as it is, there is plenty to see.

More pics of the villages around the loop.

Merry Maidens Stone Circle

The bus stop was right near the field which is home to the Merry Maiden's Stone Circle. It was a pleasant surprise to find you can visit the circle with no entry fee. In fact, there are public walking tracks all over Cornwall actually all over England, allowing people to hike through the countryside for free without fear of trespassing on private properties.

As we approached the circle both Max and I felt tingles and slight nausea, but when we entered the circle we were fine. I researched the position of this circle and it's located on the St Michael's Line which is supposed to be one of the most powerful ley lines in the UK.

For those who aren't aware of ley lines, they are straight lines that are said to be imbued with deep power and electromagnetic energy which connect important and sacred sites throughout the world. 

The Merry Maidens circle appears at the base of the St Michael's line.

Max taking in the vibes. Or something. 

There are 19 stones in all, with a gap in the eastern section, which is common to almost all British stone circles. In addition to the regular spacing, the stones were also carefully chosen and positioned so that they gradually diminish in size from the southwest to the northeast. This waxing and waning in size is believed to mirror the cycle of the moon. Measuring up to a maximum of 1.4m, the stones are dressed so as to be level on the top and have their flattest side facing the interior of the circle, which in turn has a diameter of around 24 metres.

The legend states that the Merry Maidens were local girls who broke the rules on the sabbath and were turned to stone for dancing, the equally sinful musicians, now the large pillars known as the Pipers, being petrified in nearby fields. Such moralistic folk stories are commonly attached to stone circles and it is thought that they may represent old Christian methods of trying to eliminate pagan activity at these ancient ceremony sites.

We found coins and flowers placed on the top of most stones, perhaps as offerings.

I put this short clip together with sound to try and express how magical it felt for me.