Pathways to the Past 2012 – 6th year
A weekend of walks & talks amongst the ancient sites of West Penwith
Saturday May 26th
10.00-12.30pm A walk through time
A guided walk with researcher Barry Reilly around the Sancreed area, visiting sites from the earliest settlers and throughout prehistory.
Meet at Sancreed Beacon lay-by [SW415 294]
2.00-4.30pm Sacred sites and settlements
A guided walk with David Giddings across the Penwith moors to Lanyon and West Lanyon Quoits, Bosiliack Barrow, and the recently-excavated Bosiliack settlement. A chance to visit some lesser-known sites in the company of a local expert archaeologist.
Meet in farmyard at Lanyon Farm [SW426 341]
8.00-10.00pm Hunter-gatherer communities in SW Britain
An illustrated talk by Paul Bonnington. At the Count House at Botallack.
Sunday May 27th
11.00-12.30pm Stories of Ancient Stones
Cheryl Straffon explores the legends and accounts of strange happenings at ancient sites.
At the Count House at Botallack.
2.00-4.30pm The mysterious fogou and other sites
A guided walk with archaeologist Adrian Rodda from Pendeen to Lower Boscaswell and back, visiting fogous, a well, a beaker pit and other sites.
Meet at Pendeen Lighthouse (car park).
8.00-9.00pm Recent excavations & finds
To round off the weekend, Andy Jones from the Historic Environment Service will reveal what was found at recent excavations in West Penwith and elsewhere in Cornwall.
At the North Inn, Pendeen
Each individual event £3 but free to members of FOCAS (Friends of Cornwall’s Ancient Sites). You can join FOCAS at the beginning of the individual event, or by telephoning 01736-793905, or e-mailing: focus@cornishancientsites.com
PATHWAYS TO THE PAST 2011
The 5th year of walks and talks amongst the ancient sites of West Penwith took place on the weekend of May 28th-29th. This event has become a popular one for locals and visitors alike, and, despite some inclement weather, this year was no exception. The weekend started on the Saturday with a guided walk with Barry Reilly to Bartinney & Chapel Carn Brea – the hills of fire.Barry explored these two sacred hilltops, with their barrows and other enigmatic sites, and brought alive the people who used and revered these places. In the afternoon, archaeologist David Giddings led an informative guided walk entitled Maidens, mines and moors which explored the area of Nine Maidens Common, with its barrows and stone circle, and then went on to the Mên Scryfa and Mên-an-Tol monuments, and finally visited Bosiliack barrow. Finally, in the evening
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archaeologist Paul Bonnington gave an illustrated talk at the Count House, Botallack on The Tinners Way. A full house heard and saw a recreation of the different prehistoric peoples who used this ancient trackway, and built the monuments on or close to the route.
Sunday morning brought another talk, this time by West Cornwall Dowsers organiser Bart O’Farrell on Dowsing West Cornwall’s ancient sites. This proved to be a fascinating review of the energy and ley lines the Group had discovered at ancient sites and holy hilltops in west Cornwall, and included some standing stones and a quoit discovered by them. In the afternoon archaeologist Paul Bonnington led a walk along The Tinners Way from Mulfra Hill to Bodrifty settlement, with 55 people enjoying the walk and Paul’s ideas about the prehistoric people who lived in the settlements, and built their sacred monuments on the hills. Finally, to round off the weekend the Kernow Search and Recovery Group in the shape of Roy Powell, Ian Larkin & Dave Edwards, came to the North Inn for the Sunday evening social on Lost and Found. They described and showed some of precious – and everyday – finds they have discovered over the years in Cornwall, and rounded off what had been a most enjoyable, entertaining and instructive weekend.
Next year (2012) the Pathways to the Past weekend will be on May 26th-27th, with its usual mixture of interesting walks and talks. Full details will be given here towards the end of this year. Reserve the dates in your diary now!
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