Located 2 miles south of the village of St.Buryan in Cornwall, The Merry Maidens or Dawn’s Men as some refer to them as, is an impressive granite stone circle dating from the late Neolithic period.

There is some controversy as to whether this seemingly perfect stone circle is complete with the 19 stones that currently stand; alternatively some believe that the true amount was intended to be one less, at 18.

The summer months in particular sees a large amount of visitors making their way to this fascinating ancient site. A convenient lay-by provides some parking and it’s then just a short walk across a field to the “ladies”.

The reference to Merry Maidens is thought to originate back to tales of the petrified remains of young maidens that were dancing on a Sunday. This was forbidden in ancient times and some believe that the maidens were punished, forced to stand for eternity in their dancing formation.