The Ancient Mengu Stone In St.Austell's Churchyard

The Mengu Stone (or Men du) - above -  is considered to be of schorl rock and named after the meaning in Cornish for 'black stone'. It has played an important part in St.Austell's history, perhaps since time immemorial. There is a theory, for example, that it may have originally been a Bronze Age standing stone. It's mind boggling to think what the stone may have witnessed over thousands of years.

Schorl is the name given to coarse black varieties of tourmaline. The schorl rocks are crystalline aggregates of quartz and tourmaline. The Mengu stone may well have come from the Catacleuse Quarry near Padstow.

Originally the Mengu Stone was situated in St.Austell at the junction of Fore Street, Church Street and Menacuddle Street (now part of North Street). This was a meeting point of the three Domesday Manors of Tewington, Trenanace and Treverbyn.

The stone was a focal point for announcements, declarations of war, proclamations of peace, public notices and for the sale of any impounded livestock. 

John Wesley is said to have preached from the Mengu Stone and witches may well have been burned here.

The stone was removed from its original position in 1893 to the corner of North Street and then moved again in 1972 to its present position in St.Austell's Holy Trinity church yard.

Other Nearby Ancient Rocks:
(1) The Mysterious Roche Rock, Cornwall
(2) The Secretive Menacuddle Holy Well and Chapel, Cornwall