If you’ve ever visited the Hurlers, you’ll know what a mysterious and thought-provoking place it is to be, but did you know that hidden beneath your feet is an enigmatic stone “pavement” which runs between the central and northern circles?
A triple stone circle complex, on Minions Moor, southeast Bodmin Moor, the Hurlers is one of Cornwall’s most significant ceremonial prehistoric monuments, located within a wider landscape of barrows, cairns, and stone rows. It is one of the 13 historic Cornish sites which Cornwall Heritage Trust protects.
For centuries ruinous and neglected, the monument was partially restored in the 1930s when excavations discovered this puzzling “pavement” at the site. Two community archaeology projects, Mapping The Sun in 2013 and Reading the Hurlers in 2016, revealed this fascinating feature once more, as well as investigating the geology of the stones, discovering new sites and carrying out new surveys. An interdisciplinary approach ensured a fruitful collaboration of archaeologists, geologists and astronomers and the findings offered a tantalising glimpse of the Hurlers’ story.
The discoveries unearthed by these two projects were the focus of our latest Cornish Story Cafe, hosted by Jacky Nowakowski FSA, Archaeologist, Researcher and Educator.
Jacky is a professional archaeologist who has directed many excavations and landscape surveys in Cornwall over the past 35 years. Formerly Principal Archaeologist at Cornwall Archaeological Unit, Cornwall Council, she now works freelance and her wide and varied career led her to direct these two community archaeology projects at the Hurlers. The projects were undertaken as part of the Caradon Hill Area Heritage Project, which was funded by the National Heritage Lottery Fund, Cornwall Heritage Trust, Caradon Amateur Geology Group, Saltash geology group U3A, MAGA Cornish Language Partnership, Carnglaze Caverns and Cornwall Archaeological Society.
Over 100 people attended the Cornish Story Cafe, which took place at Liskeard Public Hall, and it’s wonderful to hear how much you all enjoyed it!
Thank you to everyone who joined us for the fantastic evening and special thanks go to our Events Volunteers who did sterling service helping set up, looking after our guests, serving teas and coffees and distributing pasties.
If you would like to be involved as a Volunteer at events like this, please register your interest here
This Cornish Story Cafe was recorded and the film will shortly be available to watch free of charge online.
Find out more about Jacky’s work
Mapping the Sun booklets from CAU publications can be obtained by emailing enquiries@cau.org.uk
Investigating the Hurlers A Dark Skies film RAS 200 Sky and Earth – YouTube
Nowakowski, JA, Kennett, C, Gossip, J and Sheen, B, 2020. Investigating Archaeology and Astronomy at The Hurlers, Cornwall 2013 -2019, Jour Skyscape Archaeology 6.1, 53-85
Research the Hurlers by J Nowakowski, J Gossip and C Kennett, in press
Reclaiming The Hurlers: The 1930s excavations and restoration of a monumental landscape in in prep by J Nowakowski et al
A full summary of the two projects will come out in the next Cornish Archaeology journal published by the Cornwall Archaeological Society and should be out in Spring 2023