Fernacre facts for kids
Fernacre stone circle
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 Location in Cornwall
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| Location | Bodmin Moor, Cornwall |
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| Coordinates | 50°35′24″N 4°37′21″W / 50.58995°N 4.62237°W |
| Type | Stone circle |
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| Periods | Bronze Age |
Fernacre is an ancient stone circle found on Bodmin Moor in Cornwall, UK. It is also known as the Fernacre stone circle. This special place is located near the De Lank River, about 1.25 miles (2 km) northeast of St Breward. Stone circles like Fernacre were built a very long time ago by people from the Bronze Age.
What is Fernacre Stone Circle?
The name Fernacre might mean bracken-land, which is land covered in ferns. Another idea is that it comes from an old word for fairy, feren. Fairies were believed to be special to the ancient Cornish people.
Fernacre is one of the largest stone circles in Cornwall. It is not perfectly round, but slightly flattened. It measures about 46.2 meters (152 ft) across in one direction. In the other direction, it is about 43.3 meters (142 ft) wide.
The circle originally had around 68 or 69 stones. Today, 38 or 39 of these stones still stand upright. Some stones have fallen over or moved from their original spots. The tallest standing stone is about 1.3 meters (4.3 ft) high. The longest fallen stone is about 2.1 meters (6.9 ft) long. These stones are deeply set into the ground.
Fernacre also marks the start of an old medieval path. This path was used to move animals, like cattle, from Rough Tor to Garrow Tor.
Discovering Fernacre's Past
The area around Fernacre has a long history. Records show a farm called Fernacre existed here in 1327 AD.
Many hut circles are found nearby. These are the remains of ancient homes. Experts think Fernacre stone circle was built around the same time as these huts. No human bones or other remains were found in these hut circles. Only a few small pieces of flint gave clues about the people who lived there.
The Fernacre settlement covered a large area, about 164 acres. About 84 acres of this land show signs of being farmed long ago. It is not certain exactly when Fernacre was built. It might have been constructed during the Neolithic period or the Bronze Age. There are also signs that the circle once had a low earth bank around its southeast side.
How Fernacre Connects to the Landscape
Fernacre is in an important spot between several hills. Rough Tor is directly to the north. Brown Willy is directly to the east. Garrow Tor is also to the east, and Louden Hill is to the west-southwest.
The stone circle is very close to being in a straight line with two other ancient sites. It is only about 100 feet (30 meters) away from a direct line between Stannon stone circle and the Brown Willy Cairns. Another small standing stone is found on this line towards Brown Willy. Some people think this stone might have marked the sunrise during the equinox. The equinox is when day and night are almost equal in length.
When you stand in the middle of Fernacre circle, the sunset on May 1st lines up with Louden Hill. This shows how ancient people used these circles to track the sun's movements.
