Hidden in the Lamorna Valley of West Cornwall is a monument that seems almost designed for a mystery story. It is narrow, dark and partially underground. Its stone walls were built more than 2,000 years ago, its original purpose remains uncertain, and for generations local folklore claimed that something far less ordinary inhabited its depths. This is Boleigh Fogou, one of Cornwall's enigmatic underground structures. Archaeologists know that it belongs broadly to the Iron Age and that it was associated with an ancient settlement. They can reconstruct much of its construction and history. But one fundamental question remains: Why was it built? And that unanswered question may help explain why the fogou eventually became associated with witches, spirits and the mysterious Cornish bucca-boo. What Is a Fogou? The word fogou derives from the Cornish word for a cave. But these are not simply natural caves. Fogous are deliberately constructed underground passages, usually formed by excava...
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