Work begins on hidden Neolithic stone circle dig

Possible traces of a long-vanished stone circle at the site were discovered in 2022

Work has started on a project to unearth the secrets of a prehistoric ritual site in Cornwall.

Described by experts as the county's "ancient sacred heart", Castilly Henge is believed to have been built during the late Neolithic period - about 3,000 to 2,500 BCE (Before Common Era).

More than £40,000 of National Lottery funding was awarded to Cornwall Heritage Trust (CHT) to excavate a hidden stone circle at its centre earlier this year.

Carolyn Kennett, CHT's site project manager, said: "Neolithic henges are incredibly rare, so this is a really exciting moment."

Located just off the A30 near Bodmin, the substantial oval embankment that makes up Castilly Henge is believed to have been once used as an amphitheatre-like setting for gatherings and ritual activities.

Its significance continued into the Early Bronze Age (circa 2,400 to 1,500 BCE) when several high-status burial mounds or barrows were built close by.

Previous researchers also suggested that the site might have been used as a medieval open-air theatre known as a plen-an-gwari, as well as fortified housing for cannons during the English Civil War.

The four-week archaeological excavation, which is a collaboration between the CHT, Cornwall Archaeological Society and Historic England, aimed to delve deeper into the monument's backstory, project leaders said.

A large team of volunteers and experts are working to excavate the site

Possible traces of a long-vanished stone circle at the site were discovered in 2022, of which only one other example is known to survive in Cornwall.

Ms Kennett said she hoped that the henge - which is at risk from invasive vegetation and nearby road infrastructure - could be saved for future generations.

"Our goal is to fundraise to purchase this site and to open it up to public," she said, adding that more than £10,000 of an overall £50,000 target had already been raised.

Dr Olaf Bayer, senior archaeological investigator for Historic England, described the henge as offering a "direct visceral connection" to our ancestors.

"To discover and hold in your own hands the very tools people of the past had used - it's the kind of stuff that makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck," he said.