The Merry Maidens stone circle, near Penzance, Cornwall

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This applet will take a while to start - it's a big file - but once it has it's your chance to see what the view's like from the centre of the stone circle known as 'The Merry Maidens' in Cornwall. You'll find the circle in a field off the B3315 between Newlyn and Land's End.

Tradition has it that the stones, which are one of the best preserved megaliths in the UK are the remains of nineteen maidens who danced on a Sunday and were transformed into stones. The pipers who played for them were petrified too: you'll find two standing stones called the Pipers in a field to the north-east of the circle. Having said that I doubt if even the noisiest of pipes would have been heard by 'the maidens' from the piper's location since they are more than 400 yards away over the brow of a hill! To get to them follow the road towards Boleit (back towards Penzance) and after a sharp left turn look in the field on your left.

The picture was taken in February 2008.

To control the view click in it then use the spacebar, mouse and up/down cursor keys - you'll soon see how.

By the way if you were looking for Rutland the smallest county in England - this is it.

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