St Breock Downs Monolith

© Patrick Taylor

This monolith stands at about the highest point to the south-west of Wadebridge in Cornwall.  It was re-erected in 1956 and placed in State Guardianship in 1965 when it was provided with an MPBW sign (now replaced). Note that the original name was longstone rather than monolith.

Note that the stone is now dated from the Late Neolithic to the mid-Bronze Age, i.e. c. 2500–1500 BC; this contrasts with the view in the 1960s as used on the sign, 1800–600 BC.

St Breock Down Monolith © David Gill

The site is now managed by the Cornwall Heritage Trust.

St Breock Down Monolith © David Gill

Kilmartin: Summer Solstice

Kilmartin © David Gill

Kilmartin is one of the UK’s top prehistoric landscapes.

Castlerigg Stone Circle

Castlerigg Stone Circle © David Gill

Castlerigg stone circle in Cumbria was placed in state guardianship by General Pitt-Rivers in 1883 along with a number of other prehistoric monuments (e.g. King Arthur’s Round Table; Mayburgh Henge; Nine Ladies in Derbyshire). This decision came in the wake of the Ancient Monuments Act (1882).

The site is now managed by the National Trust.

Rudston Monolith

Monolith at Rudston © David Gill

A monolith can be found in the churchyard of All Saints at Rudston, Yorkshire. The stone stands at 7.7 m high.

The location is as well known as the burial place of the novelist Winifred Holtby (1898-1935).

• The monolith