Greystone Quarry Longstones Stone Row Panel
Stone rows are believed to date from the Late Neolithic to the Middle Bronze Age, around 3000 to 4500 years ago. They can be hundreds of metres in length and can sometimes consist of parallel rows, such as Merrivale on Dartmoor. There are local accounts that there were once more stones that may have been linked with this site but they are now lost.
They are rare monuments and their purpose is unknown. They are often found near other prehistoric monuments, including burial and ritual sites, and may have been deliberately aligned to celestial events such as sunrise or sunset on particular days, such as Stonehenge.
These three stones may be the remains of a prehistoric stone row. The stones were moved to this position in October 2023 as part of the ongoing expansion of Greystone Quarry. They were originally located about 230 metres to the north, within fields that were part of Longstone Farm. It is possible that Longstone Farm got its name from the presence of these stones. Likewise, the adjoining farm of Greystone, which was once a substantial medieval estate, important enough to be licenced to build an oratory (small chapel) in 1329, may also have been named after the row, as was Hardstone Farm.
The first modern record of the stones comes from aerial photographs taken by the RAF in 1947. These clearly show three stones in a line across two fields.
The stones have already been moved once before, due to quarry expansion in 1981. From map evidence it looks like they were moved 30 metres south in the same alignment and spacing as their original position to a location along the existing lane. During their most recent move, care has been taken to keep the stones in the same order and orientation as their earlier lines as far as possible.
They are rare monuments and their purpose is unknown. They are often found near other prehistoric monuments, including burial and ritual sites, and may have been deliberately aligned to celestial events such as sunrise or sunset on particular days.
These three stones may be the remains of a prehistoric stone row. The stones were moved to this position in October 2023 as part of the ongoing expansion of Greystone Quarry.
Text and images: Cornwall Council Strategic Historic Environment Service
Stone rows in Cornwall are often associated with myths and legends of them once being people who were turned into stone. This was usually for committing a sin on the Sabbath such as dancing or drinking.
There are no known recorded prehistoric monuments around the original site of the Longstones. It is also unusual not to have any records of the stones prior to their capture on the aerial photographs. It is possible that they are a post medieval folly feature, created by a local landowner. But in the current absence of any evidence either way, the stones are regarded as a local feature of historical interest, regardless of their ultimate age.
