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 STONE CIRCLES size is above that of any other circle in the county. Only one other circle in Cornwall has a central stone of undoubted antiquity, viz. Boscawen-un, and the possession of such a central monolith marks them out as of exceptional importance, which appears to have been the case, since one is mentioned in a Welsh triad and the other has this elaborate and unique circumvallation. The earthwork seems of too slight a character for defensive purposes and it is likely that here, as at Stone- henge, the bank was intended as an enclosure it may be a sacred enclosure giving a finish to the monument. The entrance (S. 79 W.) is clearly marked, and was perhaps designed to admit processions of some sort ; its choice of direction, towards Trippet Stones, may have been more than accidental. The ditch and bank, or the ditch alone, is a not uncommon adjunct to some of the larger and more important stone circles. Stone- henge, as already mentioned, has a ditch and bank, with an entrance on the north-east ; Avebury circle has a deep ditch and high bank ; Arbor Low has a considerable entrenchment round it and entrances on the south-east and north-west ; the Ring of Brogar, Orkney, has a ditch crossed by two causeways. There are no menhirs to be seen near, but in the ploughed field on the east is a kist-vaen, 5 ft. long by 3 ft. wide, which was once enclosed in a barrow 24 ft. in diameter. The position of this circle is remarkable ; it is situated, as has been said, on the south-east slope of Hawk's Tor, and over the shoulder of that hill, due north, appears the top of Garrow Hill, i, 086 ft. high, while beyond and above that again, in the same line, shows the top of Row Tor, 1,311 ft. Between Garrow and Row Tor, in the northern line, but out of sight, is another circle called Fernacre. The accompanying photograph shows the position of these two hills, and in the foreground are a stone of the circle (No. 2) and the offending hedge. Seeing that traditions cluster round Dawns Men and that Bos- cawen-un is credited with being the site of some Celtic festival, it is disappointing that no legend is attached to this more striking monu- ment. An early reference indeed there is, but it throws no light on the history of Stripple Stones. In 1599 Nicholas Boscawen brought an action against Manner Hill and Nicholas Burnard for trespass on Her Majesty's manor of Bliston, alias Blisland, and one of the witnesses, John Burnard, being interrogated at Bodmin as to certain boundaries, deposed that the boundary line ran ' to tynne pytt, and from thence to Strypple Stones, and from thence a thwarte into the Torre called Hauxtorre.' 1 All we learn from this is that three hundred years ago it was known by the same name, spelt differently. It is probably owing to the isolation and desolation of these moors that Stripple Stones has been passed over by nearly all the writers who have described the beauties and antiquities of Cornwall. Sir John Maclean mentions it as having five stones erect, 3 and Lukis and Borlase include in their 1 Exchequer Depositions, 41 Eliz. Mich. 3. 39 1
 * Hist, of Trigg Minor, i. 24.