Tregeseal East - Stone Circle
Overlooked by the rocky outcrop of Carn Kenidjack on Truthwall Common near St Just are what remains of a complex of perhaps three stone circles. Today all that remains is the Tregeseal East stone circle.
What is certain is there was a further circle in the next field to the west. In 1738 William Borlase had recorded this western stone circle as having ten stones standing with a further four lying on the ground. However, in 1961 the farmer who owned the field took it upon itself to remove the stones which had stood here for over 4,000 years so he could plough it. This circle is likely to have been larger than the existing one but now only exists in the annals of history.
As for the third circle, which was further west still, all that hints at its existence are barely discernable marks in the crops when viewed from the air. It is hypothesised that the three circles may have lined up in an east / west alignment and formed some sort of relationship with the equinoxes.
What remains of the Tregeseal stone circles has been much "restored" over the centuries. The earliest records of the circle suggest several of the stones had fallen and some had been removed. Some of this damage was doubtless caused between 1861 and 1869 when a small quarry encroached onto the western side of the site. However, by 1932 the antiquarian N.V. Quinnell describes the fallen stones has having been righted along with some additions.
Today the circle comprises of 19 stones which measure between 1.0–1.4 m (3 ft 3 in–4 ft 7 in) in height. The circle has a diameter of 21 metres (70 feet) at its widest point. It is thought that there are two missing stones.
The circle at Tregeseal is just part of a larger ritual complex, much like that found over at Boleigh centered around the Merry Maidens. Here at Tregeseal there are various holed stones, barrows and cairns all under the gaze of Carn Kenidjack.
It is likely that Carn Kenidjack itself is the significant natural feature that ties these sites together, although the evidence is that over the millenia the focus shifted away from the tor and further down Truthwall Common.
