travel info
There’s a reason that people in Cornwall always have fresh spearmint breath, and that reason is Mên-an-Tol, what is possibly the largest polo in the world.
Unfortunately, this large polo (large enough for a fully grown adult to fit through the middle in fact) is completely inedible as it is formed of granite. This may upset sweet enthusiasts staying in Cornwall holiday cottages who might have wanted to try a bit for themselves, but its resilience to being eaten has meant that Mên-an-Tol has stood the test of time.
To say that it’s the circular rock with a hole through the middle that makes up Mên-an-Tol is unfair though. There are two pillars of rock as well, one in front and one behind of the central ring, though the reason for them all being there is unknown. It’s speculated that they may be the remnants of an entrance to an ancient tomb that has since disappeared, or part of a calendar system, similar to that which Stonehenge is believed to be. Both of these theories are possible, as there are examples elsewhere in Britain of prehistoric people creating large, elaborate tombs for their dead with carefully constructed entrances, and of carefully planned and implemented stone circles being set up so that the passing of seasons and years can be judged.
As it was made in prehistoric times, meaning the manual has long since been lost, locals have formed their own legends about Mên-an-Tol, or the Crick Stone as they call it. One legend involves the Cornish favourite piskies. Known to be troublesome and meddling, a group of piskies swapped a mother’s baby for a changeling (something that isn’t uncommon in Cornish folklore), but by passing it through the hole in Mên-an-Tol, the mother swapped the changeling back for her real baby.
Another legend is that by passing through the hole in the middle of the central stone seven times on the night of a full moon, a woman can guarantee that she will soon become pregnant. Possible pregnancy is something to bear in mind if you’re planning a stay in Mousehole cottages or any of the other popular holiday locations that are nearby.
There are plenty of other oddities with mysterious origins around Cornwall. The Merry Maidens are a good example, as are the Hurlers on Bodmin moor, and visiting them is interesting not only because of the monuments, but because of the wonderful Cornish landscapes around them. Mên-an-Tol, however, is still one of the best, partly because of how near it is to some of the best holiday locations, and partly because it really is the Rock with the Hole.
