Boscawen-Un
A Bronze Age stone circle with a distinctive leaning central stone where phantom dancers and mysterious lights manifest during pagan festivals.
Boscawen-Un is one of Cornwall’s most atmospheric and well-preserved Bronze Age stone circles, consisting of 19 granite stones forming a circle approximately 25 meters in diameter, with a distinctive leaning central pillar stone made of white quartz. Constructed around 2000 BCE, the circle’s name translates from Cornish as “dwelling place of the elder tree,” and it has long been associated with druidic ceremonies and mystical energy. The site’s remote moorland location and unusual central stone give it an otherworldly quality that has contributed to centuries of paranormal reports and supernatural legends.
The most frequently reported phenomena at Boscawen-Un involve phantom dancers and ritual processions. Witnesses describe seeing ghostly robed figures—sometimes described as druids, other times as prehistoric shamans or priestesses—processing around the circle or dancing in formation around the central leaning stone. These apparitions are most commonly seen during twilight, during mist, or on significant dates in the pagan calendar such as Beltane, Samhain, and the summer solstice. Some visitors report hearing chanting, drumming, or strange harmonic music emanating from the circle when it appears empty. The central pillar stone seems to be a focal point for activity—several witnesses describe seeing glowing or luminous figures gathered around it, as if performing rituals focused on the leaning stone’s power.
The site is particularly known for mysterious light phenomena. Numerous witnesses report seeing unexplained glowing orbs, balls of light, or luminous mists moving among the stones after dark. These lights sometimes appear to emerge from the stones themselves or to dance between them in patterns. The white quartz central stone is said to glow with its own light during certain astronomical events or magnetic conditions. Visitors frequently report strong physical and emotional reactions at Boscawen-Un—feelings of being watched, sudden temperature changes, dizziness, or altered states of consciousness. Some people describe the central stone as emanating warmth or vibration, while sensitive individuals report tingling sensations or feeling powerful energy currents. Dowsers detect strong energy lines converging at the site, with the central pillar stone appearing to act as a focal point or amplifier. Photographers regularly capture unexplained orbs and light anomalies, particularly around the leaning central stone. Modern druids and pagans consider Boscawen-Un one of Cornwall’s most spiritually powerful locations, claiming the site retains profound energy from millennia of ceremonial use. Whether the hauntings represent genuine spirits, residual imprints of ancient rituals, or the site’s natural energetic properties amplified by the unique quartz pillar, Boscawen-Un remains one of Cornwall’s most mysteriously active prehistoric monuments.