Sperris Quoit

Sperris Quoit is a ruined megalithic burial chamber on the moors of West Penwith. It stands about 365 metres northeast of Zennor Quoit, between Zennor and Amalveor in Cornwall. This type of tomb appears only in West Penwith and is known locally as a quoit. The site is the northernmost quoit in the Penwith peninsula and is protected as a Scheduled Monument. Its name comes from the Cornish word for sprite or ghost, ‘sperris’, and the Old French word for a flat stone, ‘coite’. The chamber dates back over 4,000 years, possibly as far as 7,000 years. It was still largely intact in the early 19th century, but stones were later taken for building work in Zennor. The site was rediscovered in 1954 by Thomas and Wakes, who carried out partial excavations. During these digs, archaeologists found a cremation pit and noted that the antechamber faces south. Today only one upright stone remains standing, over 1.5 metres tall, while others lie fallen or have eroded. Visitors reach Sperris Quoit by walking across rough moorland on the side of Zennor Hill. The site sits at about 230 metres above sea level near rocky outcrops. Dense gorse and bracken surround the remains, making the chamber hard to spot. The capstone, once covering the chamber, is missing. Despite its ruined state, the quoit offers a quiet place to stand among ancient stones and imagine the landscape as it was thousands of years ago.