Walk of The Month: Standing Stones

hayley_bp
13 October 2022

In the seventeenth century, traders returned from the far east with exquisite thin rimmed porcelain cups and plates that were as light as bones. At that time earthenware pots were chunky, robust and super heavy and now they were seeing teacups and saucers that rang when struck, were thin enough to shine light through and yet strong enough to eat and drink from.

The history of clay mining

They rose in fashion and fetched high prices at market. Demand was sky high and they quickly became a status symbol for the lords and ladies across Britain who liked to display them in glass fronted cabinets in their dining rooms.

William Cookworthy, a Plymouth chemist, knew that if he could find a source of kaolin in the UK he would be sitting on a white gold mine. He set out testing the whole country and he finally found deposits of the same standard as the Chinese kaolin at Tregonning Hill, near Helston and then later in St Austell. The deposits just north of St Austell were the largest deposits in the world and as work began to extract it, the Cornish market exploded.

Clay mining today

Mining companies transformed the landscape and huge expanses of land were excavated to extract the clay and support the industry. Imerys is a world leader in mineral based speciality solutions and now owns many of the mines in mid-cornwall and processes china clay for markets that include paper fillers, ceramics, paints, rubber plastics, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and animal feed.

Although much of the industry has now moved to Brazil where a newer source of china clay has been discovered and labour is cheaper, there is still 750,000 tonnes mined and processed annually of which 85% is exported.

Exploring the unique landscape

Imerys have opened up many of the trials around the mines to the public and they provide a tranquil and mostly traffic free way to explore the beautiful Clay Country.

Park at Carn Grey car park and follow the path that has boulders at the entrance (not the wooden gate entrance). You will go through some woodland that has been ravaged by honey fungus and end up at a pit which makes for an excellent picnic spot. Follow the path around the pit and through the woodland patch up to Plateau Rock. Scale the rocks to see excellent views of the small pit below and far reaching views towards St Austell bay.

Stone circle spotting

Come down from the rocks and continue on the path up the mound. When you reach the top you will see a standing stone circle. There are over a 1000 stone circles in the United Kingdom and one of the best places to find them is in Cornwall. Our county is scattered with stone circles, stone rows and other prehistoric monuments with the earliest being built around 3000 BC.

Many theories about their purpose have been proposed from ritual and ceremonial use, to astronomical measurements.

Plenty to see

However, this stone circle has no such history or purpose. It was built in the late 80’s as a landscaping feature by the mining company after they sought to return the landscape to the public. Although it may not have a mystic or ceremonial history, the views of the sun rising over Bodmin Moor from this position take on a slightly magical quality.

Behind you sits the West Carclaze development and in front is far reaching views over to Gribbin Head where on a clear day, the Daymarker is visible. The route takes you back down the mound and past mica filled turquoise lakes and heather carpeted land until it loops back around to the car park.

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