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Summary

Duloe, the smallest stone circle in Cornwall, comprising eight quartz stones, possibly the remains of an elaborate cairn.

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument CO94: Small stone circle at Duloe, 150m south east of Stonetown Farm

Other References/Statuses

• National Mapping Programme (Morph No.): 1076.69
• OS No. (OS Quarter-sheet and OS No.): SX25NW 3
• Primary Record No. (1985-2009): 10178
• SMR No. (OS Quarter-sheet and SMR No.): SX25NW 5

Monument Type(s):

• CAIRN? (Bronze Age - 2500 BC to 801 BC)
• STONE CIRCLE? (Bronze Age - 2500 BC to 801 BC)

Full description

Duloe stone circle is the smallest in Cornwall and is shown on the 1st Edition OS 2500 map of c1880, described as a 'Druidical Circle'.

It is slightly oval in plan and measures 11.7m by 10.2m. The circle comprises eight stones, seven of which are still standing; the northernmost stone has fallen and lies broken. All the stones are quartz and vary in height between 1.0m and 2.4m.

The stone circle was reconstructed in the mid 1800s (b7).

WC Borlase relates two conflicting stories about the urn which was found at this site. In an account of the attempt in 1861 to re-erect three (?) fallen stones, credited to one Mr Pedlar, the urn was recovered from beneath one of the stones. A fragment of this urn is illustrated by Borlase. However, Mr NHP Lawrence of Launceston subsequently stated in a letter (to TH Bewes and seen by Borlase) that the urn was recovered from a hedge that bisected the circle when this was removed, either before 1858 or between 1861-63. Human bone was found inside the urn. Borlase inferred from these details that a burial monument or cairn had been raised inside the circle. Patchett (1946) lists the urn as Class 'G' Deverel-Rimbury style which she ascribes to the Late Bronze Age and dates to "after 750 BC".

The circle is in excellent condition but recent plans to make the farm into a tourist attraction might disturb the nature of the site.

The stone circle was plotted from aerial photographs (p1) during the Cornwall NMP.

--------------------------------
Site history:
h1: 1971. MJF / OS
h2: 1979. GRAY, VK, FMW / DOE
h3: 1984. SHEPPARD, P, FMW / DOE
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Ordnance Survey, 1880s, 1st Edition 1:1250 Map (Cartographic materials). SCO4047.

NMR, 1999, SX2358/11-18 (Photographic Record). SCO18826.

Page, W (Editor), 1906, Victoria History of the County of Cornwall, VOL I, 400-401 (Bibliographic reference). SCO4068.

Dunkin, EHW, 1873, On the Megalithic Circle at Dunloe, Cornwall (Article in Journal). SCO6308.

Patchett, FM, 1944, Cornish Bronze Age Pottery, VOL 101, 48 (Article in Journal). SCO4087.

Borlase, WC, 1872, Naenia Cornubiae, 127 (Bibliographic reference). SCO2892.

UNKNOWN, 1---, UNKNOWN TITLE, VOL XII, 96 (Unedited Source). SCO5350.

Dymond, CW, 1882, Duloe Stone Circle (Article in Serial). SCO25829.

Cambridge University Centre for Aerial Photography, 26/6/55, CUC QD 9 (Aerial Photograph). SCO21728.

Cambridge University Centre for Aerial Photography, 29/3/73, CUC BMC 5 (Aerial Photograph). SCO21727.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Finds

• FCO543 - URN (Bronze Age - 2500 BC to 801 BC)
• FCO8421 - POT (Late Neolithic to Early Bronze Age - 2450 BC to 1501 BC)

Associated Events: none recorded

Related records: none recorded

Associated Images

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