Chun Quoit and Carn Kenidjack

This pleasant amble across the inland moors of Cornwall includes a number of ancient monuments including Chun Quoit, Chun Castle, the Dancing Stones and the Boslow Stone.

Technical sheet

293311
A St Just walk posted on 04/07/16 by Walking Britain. Last update : 06/07/16
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 6.58 km
  • ◔
    Calculated time: 2h 05 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: No
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 77 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 74 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 210 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 160 m
  • ⚐
    District: St Just 
  • ⚑
    Start: N 50.14293° / W 5.64986°
  • ⚑
    End: N 50.14258° / W 5.65168°

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Description

(S/E) From the small parking area at grid ref. SW393333 alongside the B3318, take the footpath heading east across Woon Gumpus Common. This path bears right from the track leaving the parking area. The path continues across open moorland to reach a walled field on your left (grid ref. SW399335). Continue with the wall on your left, bearing northeast on a much wider path to Chun Quoit (grid ref. SW402339). This 4,400 year old stone mushroom marks the site of a burial chamber.

(1) From Chun Quoit walk east to Chun Castle (grid ref. SW405339) which is an Iron-age fort. From here continue southeast (with the Fort to your left) along a clear path that leads to Trehyllis Farm. Here your turn sharp right onto a clear track heading almost due west. There are no navigational difficulties and you can enjoy the wild surroundings. Reaching the B3318, cross the road and continue in the same direction to join a track that leads to a farm on your left. Where the track goes left into farm, walk straight ahead. At the end of the wall on your left, take the footpath on the left and cross Botallack Common to the Dancing Stones circle on Truthwall Common (grid ref. SW386324).

(2) From the stone circle walk west, with the wall on your left to reach the end of a walled lane with a small pond ahead (grid ref. SW385324). Turn right here and follow a track north. After a short way a path leads off the right hand side of the track continuing north. The path reaches a walled enclosure on your left. Continue to the north-east corner of this walled field and bear left still with the wall on your left, You soon reach a junction of tracks.

(3) Turn sharp right here and continue north-east top reach another junction of tracks and paths just to the west of Carn Kenidjack (grid ref SW386330). Ignore the path on your right, instead following a clear track going half-right.

(4) Continue straight along this path in an easterly direction. The path passes the inscribed Boslow Stone and joins the access track to the farm used earlier in the walk. Follow this track, turning left with the track to head north. Reaching a road, turn right and the starting point is a short way ahead (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S : km 0 - alt. 180 m
  2. 1 : km 1.27 - alt. 204 m - Chun Quoit, walk east
  3. 2 : km 4.67 - alt. 165 m - Stone circle, walk west
  4. 3 : km 5.4 - alt. 181 m - Turn sharp right
  5. 4 : km 5.86 - alt. 201 m - Continue straight along the path
  6. E : km 6.58 - alt. 184 m

Useful Information

This pleasant amble across the Cornish moors takes you away from the often bust coastline. Like many moorland areas careful navigation is essential and the use of an OS 1:25000 map is a useful aid. Generally the paths are well walked and clear on the ground.

Always stay careful and alert while following a route. Visorando and the author of this walk cannot be held responsible in the event of an accident during this route.

Reviews and comments

4 / 5
Based on 1 review

Clarity of route description
3 / 5
Clarity of route map
4 / 5
Walk interest
5 / 5
Sarita J
Sarita J

No problem! thanks for the feedback in any case!

bob13south
bob13south

I would gladly like to improve the description, but it would mean rewalking the route to get the necessary detail. Unfortunately, I don't have time for that as only in the area on a short holiday. Hopefully, another walker will take my comments into mind and note the extra detail that would make the walk easier to follow.

Sarita J
Sarita J

Many thanks for your feedback on this walk. If you have any suggestions on how we can improve the walk description, please let us know and we would be happy to make the changes!

bob13south
bob13south

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : 22/04/18
Clarity of route description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Walk interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Path at start dwindled to a narrow uncertain twisty way almost hidden by gorse either side, so much so thought I had lost the intended path. Directions said should be approaching a stone wall on left but this was so overgrown that I couldn't see it was made of stone until virtually on top of it. Luckily I was following the right path!

After crossing the B3318, the track is at first for 300 yards extremely boggy and difficult to traverse. After that, the directions are often too vague and caused me several wrong turns. I have OS Maps Locator on my phone and had to use this constantly to check my position and direction. I know that moorland areas can be difficult to navigate but there could have been more use made in the description of landscape features like pylons, and the very obvious Carn Kenidjack which I found the route circled without mentioning what it was!

Good points of interest. BTW,b I made it 4.7 miles, but some extra length is attributable to backtracking and examining places such as Chun Castle and Dancing Stones. Pity no information boards at the points of interest to explain their significance.

Anyway, many thanks for the walk!

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