Perran Round is a protected monument and is one of two surviving Rounds in Cornwall out of several hundred, the other being at St. Just. It is an almost-perfect circle, 130 feet in diameter with an earth rampart 12 feet high and surrounded by a ditch about 6 feet deep. Archaeologists say it started out as an Iron Age fortified farm 2000 years ago and it has been a focal point of religious and social life - Druids, Celtic Christians, Catholics, Anglicans and Methodists have all worshipped there. It has been described as Britain’s oldest theatre and has been the location for fetes, markets, wrestling matches, political meetings and the Cornish Gorsedd. During the Second World War, the Round was the training ground for the Rose Platoon of the Home Guard and in 1951 it was used for the Parish Celebrations of the Festival of Britain.
During the Dark Ages pilgrims came from as far away as Wales, Ireland and Brittany to St Pirans Oratory and their road passed through Perran Round. There they were entertained by plays in the Cornish language which portrayed the story of the Bible and the lives of several Cornish Saints. It is thought that in the Middle Ages the “Devil’s Frying Pan” in the centre was used as hell - the pan and the handle were deeper then and the handle was covered so the actors could move along it and spring up centre stage to greater effect. Tradition says that if you run round the frying pan seven times, then put your ear to the ground in the middle of it, you can hear the Devil frying.
Information from http://www.st-piran.com/perranround.htm
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