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  Shown within Southwest Cornwall | |
| Location | Cornwall |
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| Coordinates | 50°09′48″N5°34′11″W / 50.16327°N 5.56977°W |
| Type | Dolmen |
| History | |
| Periods | Neolithic |
Mulfra Quoit (grid reference SW451353 ) is a Neolithic dolmen in the county of Cornwall in England. It stands on Mulfra Hill to the north of the hamlet of Mulfra.
The Quoit is located west of Penzance between Porthmeor and New Mill on the top of Mulfra Hill, from where you can look to the sea over the surrounding hills.
Mulfra Quoit is similar to Chûn Quoit five kilometers away. The quoit has three 1.7m-high support stones, arranged in a U-shape 3.0m long and 1.7m wide, and open on one side. The capstone, which has slipped down, measures 3.2m by 3.0m, and is almost square; it has a weight of 5 tonnes. Since some of the stones that formed the chamber are missing, it is difficult to get an idea of its original form, but it is possible that four pillars supported the capstone slab as with Chûn Quoit. On the other hand, the capstone has a central bulge on its underside, which would give the stone a stable position on the existing three pillars. Mulfra Quoit was apparently covered by a mound, the remnants of which are still present
In 1769 the antiquarian, William Borlase published a plan and a drawing of the quoit and described a 60 cm-high stone embankment, which encircled the dolmen with a diameter of 12m, of which, nothing can be seen today. Borlase also mentioned a further stone, which he thought was part of the capstone, but this stone no longer exists. The ground was covered with a 30 cm-thick soil, which Borlase thought was part of the original mound. [1] In 1872 his descendant William Copeland Borlase examined an accumulation of stone in the centre of the dolmen, and undertook excavations which only yielded charred wood. W. C. Borlase refuted a local story that the dolmen had been damaged by a lightning strike in 1752, because his ancestor in 1749, had found it in much the same state as it is today. [2]
Due to its poor state of conservation later writers gave it scant attention: Hencken in 1932 compared it to Chûn Quoit and simply called it "a very similar but less perfect chamber." [3] In 1950 Glyn Daniel did little more than mention the name of the quoit and classified it as a "typical rectangular" chamber, although he did provide a plan of the structure. [4]
Media related to Mulfra Quoit at Wikimedia Commons
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A dolmen or portal tomb is a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb, usually consisting of two or more upright megaliths supporting a large flat horizontal capstone or "table". Most date from the Late Neolithic period and were sometimes covered with earth or smaller stones to form a tumulus. Small pad-stones may be wedged between the cap and supporting stones to achieve a level appearance. In many instances, the covering has eroded away, leaving only the stone "skeleton".
The Mên-an-Tol is a small formation of standing stones in Cornwall, UK. It is about three miles northwest of Madron. It is also known locally as the "Crick Stone".
Lanyon Quoit is a dolmen in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, 2 miles southeast of Morvah. It collapsed in a storm in 1815 and was re-erected nine years later, and as a result the dolmen is now very different from its original appearance.
Chûn Quoit is one of the best preserved of all Neolithic quoits in western Cornwall, England, United Kingdom.
The Merry Maidens, also known as Dawn's Men is a late neolithic stone circle located 2 miles (3 km) to the south of the village of St Buryan, in Cornwall, England. A pair of standing stones, The Pipers is associated both geographically and in legend.
Trethevy Quoit is a well-preserved megalithic structure between St Cleer and Darite in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is known locally as "the giant's house". Standing 9 feet (2.7 m) high, it consists of five standing stones capped by a large slab and was added to the Heritage at Risk Register in 2017.
William Copeland Borlase was a British antiquarian and Liberal politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1880 until 1887 when he was ruined by bankruptcy and scandal.
Bosporthennis is a hamlet south of Treen in the civil parish of Zennor on the Penwith peninsula in west Cornwall, England, United Kingdom.
Arthur's Stone is a Neolithic chambered tomb, or dolmen, in Herefordshire, England. It is situated on the ridge line of a hill overlooking both the Golden Valley, Herefordshire and the Wye Valley. The tomb dates from 3,700 BC – 2,700 BC.
Zennor Quoit is a ruined megalithic burial chamber or dolmen, located on a moor about a mile (1.6 km) east of the village of Zennor, Cornwall, England, UK. It dates to 2500–1500 BC. Aside from the 12.5-tonne (12,500 kg) roof, which collapsed some time between 1770 and 1865, the chamber is in good condition.
Sperris Quoit is a ruined megalithic burial chamber or dolmen, and one of a type of tomb unique to West Penwith, located on a moor around 365 metres northeast of Zennor Quoit, being roughly halfway between Zennor and Amalveor, Cornwall. It is the northernmost quoit in the Penwith peninsula and a Scheduled Monument.
Carwynnen Quoit is a dolmen belonging to the Neolithic period, at Carwynnen near Camborne in west Cornwall. It is also known as 'The Giant's Quoit', 'The Giant's Frying Pan', 'Pendarvis Quoit' and 'Pendarves Quoit'. It collapsed in 1966 and was re-erected in 2014.
Brane Barrow, or Chapel Euny Barrow, is a Neolithic entrance grave located near the hamlet of Brane, Cornwall, England, UK. It is considered to be one of the smallest and best preserved burial monuments in Britain.
The Hell Stone is a badly-restored Neolithic dolmen on Portesham Hill in Dorset, England. It is around half a mile (0.8 km) north of the village of Portesham, and approximately three-quarters of a mile (1.2 km) southeast of the Valley of Stones.
West Lanyon Quoit, also known as Lower Lanyon Quoit, is the remains of a prehistoric dolmen situated in the parish of Madron in Cornwall grid reference SW423337. It was excavated in the late 18th century, and much of the structure has since been destroyed.
Pawton Quoit is a prehistoric portal dolmen, which dates to the Early and Middle Neolithic period in England. The burial monument is located near Haycrock Farm, south of St Breock, in Cornwall, England.
Lesquite Quoit, is a portal dolmen, located near Lanivet in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is a ceremonial funerary monument built around 3500 - 2600 BC and used by Britain's early farming communities. There are only 20 portal dolmens surviving in the United Kingdom. Many have suffered from stone-robbing and degradation over time. This example is well preserved, and is a scheduled monument. In 1870, J. Polsue recorded that the local tradition was of the stones "having been thrown to their present location from Helman Tor by the Devil playing quoits."
The Three Brothers of Grugith is a prehistoric site, a dolmen of the Neolithic Age, near St Keverne in Cornwall, England. It is a scheduled monument.
