Once thought to sit on top of buried treasure (a myth that has been disproved), Lanyon Quoit was actually designed as an ancient burial chamber or mausoleum. The stones were first erected in the Neolithic period (3500-2500BC), although their formation would have been slightly different – in 1815, they collapsed and were later repositioned lower to the ground, with a broken stone missing.
At the Madron/Heamoor roundabout, take the B3312 for Madron and stay on it until you see the quoit on your right. There is no designated parking, so you’ll need to find a pulling-in point along the road.
References:Sigmaringen Castle was first mentioned in the year 1077 in the chronicles of Petershausen monastery. The oldest parts of the castle are concealed beneath the alterations made during the 17th and the 19th centuries. The secret of the earliest settlement built on this defendable rock will never be fully revealed: large-scale excavation work would be necessary, which the extensive land development renders impossible. Judging from the many Roman remains unearthed in the area around Sigmaringen, the 12th century keep known as the 'Roman Tower' could be traced back to a Roman predecessor.
The castle remains that have been preserved (gate, great hall and keep) date back to the Staufer period around 1200. The castle remains were integrated into subsequent buildings. The foundations of the castle buildings are to a large extent identical to the surrounding castle wall.
These remains give us a good idea of how the castle might have looked during the 12th century.