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Summary

On the south and south east facing moorland of Botallack Common lie a line of holed stones.

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument CO15: Holed stones on Kenidjack Common

Other References/Statuses

• Heritage at Risk (National): English Heritage, South West
• OS No. (OS Quarter-sheet and OS No.): SW33SE 39
• Primary Record No. (1985-2009): 16135
• SMR No. (OS Quarter-sheet and SMR No.): SW33SE 89

Monument Type(s):

• HOLED STONE (Prehistoric - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
• HOLED STONE (Bronze Age - 2500 BC to 801 BC)

Full description

On the south and south east facing moorland of Botallack Common lie a line of holed stones at approximately 168m above od, were noted and sketched by Buller in 1842 who recognised four holed stones (b1,h1), a fifth stone was recognised by Blight (b3) recorded on the 1908 OS map (b5). It was photographed by the OS in 1960 who doubted the authenticity of the fifth outlier, whilst Barnatt in 1982 suggested that the fifth outlying stone was not prehistoric (b8). Sketch surveyed by Sharpe for the CAU in 1985 (h5, b9, b10). Four large granite slabs, partly recumbent, are set in an alignment orientated WSW-ENE. Roughly cut regular slabs with bevelled perforations pierced through their centres. Three of these, partly fallen, orthostats have perforations which average 7.5cm to 9cm in diameter. Only half of one stone survives; the fracture begins across the perforation (h2, b7). 19.0m to the north-west of the western most stone is a fifth outlying stone which is unlike the others and not in alignment. It too is perforated although Barnatt suggests that the hole was drilled and not bevelled this forming a straight sided hole (b8). Weatherhill however accepts the authenticity of this fifth stone (b7). Sketch survey by Sharpe shows that the fifth stone was mended with cement and placed upright but not fixed (h5, b9, b10). The function of the monument is unknown; possibly part of a short stone row and should perhaps be considered as part of other ceremonial activities, sites of which lie in the immediate area.

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Site history:
1: 1842. BULLER, REV J.
2: 1960. QUINNELL, NV / OS
3: 1975. FLETCHER, MJ / OS
4: 1981. WEATHERHILL, C
5: 1985. SHARPE, A / CAU
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Jackson, M. & Jackson, A., 2006, Ancient Stones of Kernow (Booklet). SCO27463.

<1> Buller, J, 1842, A Statistical Account of the Parish of St Just-In-Penwith, 100, MAP (Bibliographic reference). SCO2969.

<2> Blight, JT, 1864, Holed Stones of Cornwall, 4-5 (Bibliographic reference). SCO2867.

<3> Blight, JT, 1864, Account of a Barrow with Kist-Vaen, in the Parish of Sancreed, Cornwall, 3RD SERIES, VOL 10, 295, FIGS (Article in Journal). SCO6174.

<4> Lukis, WC & Borlase, WC, 1885, Prehistoric Stone Monuments: Cornwall (Bibliographic reference). SCO3881.

<5> Ordnance Survey, 1900s, 2nd Edition 6 Inch Map (Cartographic materials). SCO4051.

<6> Russell, V, 1971, West Penwith Survey, 97 (Bibliographic reference). SCO4314.

<7> Weatherhill, C, 1981, Belerion: Ancient Sites of Land's End, 23 (Bibliographic reference). SCO5027.

<8> Barnatt, J, 1982, Prehistoric Cornwall: The Ceremonial Monuments, 95 (Bibliographic reference). SCO2777.

<9> Cornwall Archaeological Unit, Field Drawing (GRE), GRE 2/33 (Cartographic materials). SCO5089.

<10> Preston Jones, A, 2012, Cornwall Scheduled Monument Management 2011-12 - Final project report (Cornwall Event Report). SCO25250.

<11> Preston Jones, A, 2011, Kenidjack holed stone, StJust, Cornwall - Repair and restoration (Cornwall Event Report). SCO24955.

<12> Cornwall Council, 2017, Distinctiveness Assessment and Evaluation (Report). SCO27790.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• ECO3509 - Kenidjack holed stone, St Just, Cornwall - repair and restoration
• ECO3671 - Cornwall Scheduled Monument Management 2011-12 (Ref: 2011200)

Related records: none recorded

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