Trethevy Quoit

Trethevy Quoit is a portal dolmen on the southern edge of Bodmin Moor, perhaps the finest of these early or middle Neolithic monuments, dating to around 3500 to 2500 BC. Five standing stones support a capstone weighing about 20 tonnes, and the structure rises 2.7 metres. The capstone now slopes more steeply than it once did because the westernmost support has collapsed into the chamber, and a hole near its highest corner appears to be man-made. A low mound still surrounds the chamber, which was probably once covered by a cairn, and stones at the east end form a kind of antechamber. Whether such places were tombs or shrines remains uncertain. Reviewers mention benches in the field and the information board by the gate, and warn that the final lanes are tight, with room for only a few cars. The monument, managed by the Cornwall Heritage Trust, stands on private land. Sheep sometimes graze, so keep dogs on leads.