Stannon stone circle takes its name from the neighbouring farm and lies between two streams on the gentle slopes of Dinnever Hill, about two and a half miles southeast of Camelford. The circle occupies a remote position that is part of its enduring charm, where only the wild creatures of the moor are likely to accompany visitors. However, it is overlooked on one side by the massive workings of the Stannon china clay quarry, whose industrial scarring long blighted the surrounding landscape. Today, much of this quarry has been reclaimed and transformed into a grassed-over reservoir, softening its impact somewhat. This remarkable circle comprises between seventy and eighty granite blocks, forty of which remain upright within an irregular ring measuring roughly 43 by 39 metres. The stones vary in size from 30 centimetres to over 1.2 metres in height, with some set closely together so that they almost touch, while others stand further apart. Like many of Bodmin Moor’s prehistoric rings, the stones at Stannon are notable for their distinct triangular profiles, pointing sharply skyward. The largest and most prominent examples of these triangular uprights tend to cluster toward the west and southwest, creating a striking silhouette against the open landscape. Notably, the northern arc of the circle is flattened, creating a near-straight line of stones, a feature that recalls the layout of Long Meg and her Daughters in Cumbria. Archaeological investigations by R. J. Mercer in the late 1960s uncovered evidence of substantial settlement activity on Stannon Down. Excavations revealed at least eight unenclosed roundhouses, suggesting a community of over twenty such structures spread across an area measuring 150 by 100 metres. These roundhouses, likely accommodating around one hundred people, were constructed of timber posts supporting thatched roofs, with partitioned interiors, paved floors, and drainage systems. Pottery, flint tools, and a whetstone implying the use of metal blades were found, dating the settlement to the Middle Bronze Age, somewhat later than the presumed construction of the circle itself. Alignments at Stannon have long attracted scholarly attention. When viewed from the circle’s centre, Rough Tor rises on the horizon between twenty-two and twenty-eight degrees north of east, corresponding to the position of the sunrise at certain times of year. Researchers including Matthew Gregory Lewis and Andy M. Jones have proposed that this suggests a deliberate astronomical or ceremonial orientation. Jones even described Stannon as a "Ceremonial Complex," highlighting its potential role in ritual or calendrical practices linked to the surrounding hills. The triangular stones themselves may have been chosen or shaped to emphasise a symbolic connection between earth and sky. Approximately 80 metres to the northwest of the circle lies a curious line of four stones, believed to be part of a mostly destroyed stone row once extending for at least 140 metres. This row, probably dating to the middle of the Bronze Age, seems not to align directly with the circle but instead skirts its western edge, implying that it may be a later and unrelated addition to the site. Stone circle expert Aubrey Burl has compared Stannon and the similar Fernacre circle to the great rings of Cumbria, suggesting their size, flattened arcs, and the repeated use of triangular uprights could indicate a Neolithic origin rather than a purely Bronze Age one.