The Hurlers and Rillaton Barrow Walk

This is one of those walks where the landscape feels ancient in every direction.

Set high on Bodmin Moor, the route links some of the most important prehistoric sites in the South West, but still leaves plenty of space to breathe. It’s not crowded, not over-managed, just open moorland and stone markers that have stood here for thousands of years.

At the heart of the walk are The Hurlers, a group of three stone circles aligned along a gentle ridge. Unlike many stone circles, these are spread out, giving the whole area a sense of scale rather than enclosure.

A short distance away stands Rillaton Barrow, a burial mound that once contained one of the most important Bronze Age finds in Britain, the Rillaton gold cup. Standing here, it’s easy to feel the significance of the site, even without knowing the full story.

The walking itself is straightforward, open ground, clear lines, and no real technical difficulty, but the setting gives it weight. This isn’t just a route; it’s a place where people have lived, gathered, and marked the land for thousands of years.

Legends of the Hurlers

Local folklore says the stones were once men playing hurling who were turned to stone as punishment for breaking the Sabbath. Whether true or not, it adds another layer to a place that already feels deeply rooted in story.