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Happy Friday!

Today's feature is about The Cheesewring, and if you love walks on the moor, then you are going to love this.

The Cheesewring is a tor made up of a number of large granite slabs that are naturally formed in a stack and have been shaped by weathering. The name comes from the shape of the structure resembling that of a pile of “cheeses” in a traditional cider press. It is situated on top of Stowe's Hill on the eastern side of Bodmin Moor and is 4 miles north from Liskeard.

Here in Cornwall we love a good legend and it is said that the origin of The Cheesewring was due to the result of a rock throwing contest between a man and a giant. The story is that when Christianity was first introduced to Britain the giants who lived in the mountains were not happy. They felt that the saints had invaded their land and declared it sacred. One giant named Uther was instructed to banish the saints from the giant’s land. Uther confronted a saint called Tue who suggested a rock throwing contest. If Saint Tue won the giants agreed that they would convert to Christianity. If Uther won, the saints would leave Cornwall. The giants agreed to this proposal and thought this would be an easy win as Saint Tue was a frail man, but to his surprise, after Saint Tue prayed, he picked up the giant rocks with no issue. They took in turns and both successfully made 12 stones stack up. Uther threw the 13th stone but it rolled down the hill. Saint Tue picked up the stone and an angel appeared and assisted him on getting the stone on top of the rock pile. After the giants witnessed this the decided to convert to Christianity. Too this day the stack has stayed put.

In the nearby village Minions, which is about 1 mile away there are a couple tea rooms, and a museum dedicated to the local mining history which is in a disused engine house.

Just like the rest of Bodmin Moor, The Cheesewring and Minions are very popular places to visit, and attracts many visitors every year. With spectacular views and the opportunity to learn something about Cornish history, we can see why it is such a loved location for locals and tourists alike.

Here are some photos of The Cheesewring from October 2020.