OS grid ref:- SW412274
Boscawen Un Stone Circle is located around 1.5 km north of the village of St. Buryan in West Penwith, an area rich in Megalithic sites and lies beneath the southern slopes of Creeg Tol.
The monument, which dates to the Bronze Age, is eliptical in shape and measures 25.2 metres by 22.3 metres, it consists of nineteen evenly placed granite stones (the same number as the nearby Merry Maidens and Tregeseal East stone circles). The wide gap at the west suggests an astronomical alignment. The stones vary from 3 feet (0.9m) to 5 feet (1.5m) in height with a distinctive leaning central stone.
The central stone, which is composed of quartz, has axe carvings or petroglyphs near its base, it measures around 8 feet (2.5m) but leans at such an angle as to render its tip only about 6 feet (1.9m) above ground level. Excavations carried out at the site have revealed evidence that the stone was installed in the leaning position. The stone points toward the midsummer sunrise in the north east. Axe petroglyphs are unusual in Britain, though they can also be observed on some of the stones at Stonehenge.
Boscawen Un is a Cornish name derived from the elements bod, "dwelling or farmstead" and scawen, "elder tree". The suffix ľun comes from goon, "downland or unenclosed pasture".
The stone circle is mentioned in the Welsh Triads which date back to around the sixth century. The Triads record "Boskawen of Dumnonia" as being one of the "Gorsedds of Poetry of the Island of Britain", one of the three main Gorsedds or meeting places of the ancient Britons, and the modern Cornish Gorsedd first met here in 1928 and it is still used by modern pagan groups.
The area around the stone circle was first studied scientifically in 1864. The excavation reports reveal that the central stone already had its inclination. A burial mound was discovered nearby, which contained urns.
The circle was restored in 1862
From Penzance, follow the A30 south, around a mile on from Catchall, before turning off for Sancreed, park on the side of the road by a footpath sign. Follow the footpath through to Boscawen Un.
Mzunguko wa Jiwe la Boscawen Un unapatikana karibu kilomita 1.5 kaskazini mwa kijiji cha St. Burin katika West Penwith, eneo lenye maeneo ya Megalithic na iko chini ya mteremko wa kusini wa Creagh Tol. Mnara huo wa ukumbusho, ambao unatokana na Enzi ya Shaba, una umbo la mviringo na una urefu wa mita 25.2 kwa mita 22.3 na una mawe kumi na tisa ya graniti yaliyowekwa kwa usawa (nambari sawa na duru za mawe za Merry Maidens na Tregessel East). Pengo kubwa lililo upande wa magharibi laonyesha kwamba kuna mpangilio wa nyota. Mawe hayo yanatofautiana kutoka mita 3 hadi mita 5 kwa urefu na yana jiwe la kati lenye mwinuko. Jiwe la katikati, ambalo lina mchanganyiko wa quartz, lina michongo au petroglyphs karibu na msingi wake, hupima karibu mita 8 lakini huegemea kwa pembe ya kuifanya ncha yake kuwa mita 6 tu juu ya kiwango cha ardhi. Uchimbuaji uliofanywa katika eneo hilo umefunua uthibitisho kwamba jiwe hilo liliwekwa katika hali ya kuegemea. Jiwe hilo linaelekeza upande wa kaskazini-mashariki wa jua wakati wa kiangazi. Michoro ya mwamba iliyochongwa kwa shoka si ya kawaida nchini Uingereza, ingawa inaweza pia kuonekana kwenye baadhi ya mawe ya Stonehenge. Boscawen Un ni jina la Cornish linalotokana na vipengele bod, "nyumba au shamba" na scawen, "mti wa mzee". Kiambishi ľun kinatokana na goon, "nchi ya chini au malisho yasiyofungwa". Mzunguko wa mawe unatajwa katika Welsh Triads ambayo ni ya karibu karne ya sita. "Boscawen ya Dumnonia ni moja ya ""Gorsedds ya Ushairi wa Kisiwa cha Uingereza,"" moja ya Gorsedds kuu tatu au mahali pa kukutana kwa Britons ya kale, na Gorsedd ya kisasa ya Cornish ilikutana hapa kwa mara ya kwanza mnamo 1928 na bado hutumiwa na vikundi vya kipagani vya kisasa." Eneo la mviringo wa mawe lilichunguzwa kwa mara ya kwanza kisayansi mwaka 1864. Ripoti za uchimbuaji zinaonyesha kwamba jiwe la katikati tayari lilikuwa na mwinuko wake. Kilima cha mazishi kiligunduliwa karibu na hapo, ambacho kilikuwa na vyombo vya kuhifadhia maji. Mzunguko huo ulirudishwa mnamo 1862 kutoka Penzance, fuata A30 kusini, karibu maili moja kutoka Catchall, kabla ya kugeuka kwa Sancreed, na kuegesha kando ya barabara na ishara ya njia ya miguu. Fuata njia ya miguu hadi Boscawen Un.