Boswens Menhir

The Boswens Menhir stands in open moorland three kilometres northeast of St Just in Penwith, Cornwall. It is a single standing stone on the western edge of Boswens Common, visible from the B3318 road. The area is part of Penwith, a district rich in prehistoric monuments. Nearby are Tregeseal stone circle one and a half kilometres east and Chûn Quoit about one kilometre south. The stone was shown in Mark Jenkin’s 2022 film Enys Men. The menhir measures 2.4 metres high with a rectangular section of 0.7 by 0.9 metres. Its front face is symmetrical while the back has two steps that halve the width. In 1754 William Borlase drew the stone standing in a small low cairn. By 1861 the cairn had almost disappeared, leaving only a slight mound about 0.3 metres high. The remains may once have formed a burial barrow. A visitor finds the stone standing alone on open ground with wide views across the moor. The B3318 road runs nearby, making the site easy to spot from passing traffic. The nearby Tregeseal circle and Chûn Quoit add to the prehistoric atmosphere of the area. The small cairn at the base is now little more than a gentle rise in the turf. The setting is quiet and open, typical of Penwith’s ancient landscapes.