Trethevy Quoit

Trethevy Quoit is a megalithic portal tomb in Cornwall, standing between the villages of St Cleer and Darite. It is known locally as the giant’s house and reaches nearly three metres in height. The structure consists of five upright stones topped by a single large slab. A small rectangular stone at the front can be moved to allow access to the chamber inside. The site lies in a shallow valley near the hamlet of Tremar Coombe, north of Liskeard. The quoit was first recorded in 1584 by John Norden and later studied by William Copeland Borlase in the 19th century. Archaeologist Hencken in 1932 highlighted its unusual antechamber and links to similar sites in Brittany. Excavations show the tomb was built between 3700 and 3500 BC and used for centuries as a communal grave or ritual place. It was added to the Heritage at Risk Register in 2017 because of damage from fencing and livestock. Visitors find a dramatic stone chamber partly open to the sky. The back wall has collapsed inward, leaving a jumble of stones inside. A natural hole near the top of the capstone may once have been used for observing the sky. The surrounding farmland and nearby The Hurlers stone circles add to the sense of ancient landscape. Trethevy farmhouse, a Grade II* listed building, stands close by.