St Breock Downs Monolith

St Breock Downs Monolith is the largest and heaviest prehistoric Menhir in Cornwall [1]. It stands on the summit of St Breock Downs [1]. The stone is made from the local Devonian shale which has extensive feldspar veining, and it is estimated to weigh around 16.5 tonnes [1]. It is 4.92 metres long and stands to a height of just over 3 metres above ground level [1]. It stands on a low stone mound or cairn with a diameter of around 10 metres [1]. It is believed to be Late Neolithic or Early Bronze Age (around 2500-1500 BC) [1]. It fell over in 1945, and was re-erected in 1956 after a small excavation had been carried out [1]. The excavation showed that the stone stood in a setting of quartz pebbles below which were two small hollows [1].