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The slopes of the tor appear to be quite regularly terraced. Some believe that this formation is the remains of an ancient, perhaps neolithic, sacred labyrinth, while others attribute the terraces to natural ruts formed everywhere on grassy slopes by generations of grazing animals, which are slow to disappear if the grass cover is left undisturbed.
The tor is managed by The National Trust.
History
Some neolithic flint tools have been recovered from the top of the tor. There is evidence of wooden huts from the Celtic and Roman periods. The Celtic name of the tor was "Ynis Witrin", meaning "Isle of Glass". At this time the plain was flooded, the isle becoming a peninsula at low tide.
Remains of a 5th century fort have been found on the tor. This was replaced by the medieval St. Michael's church that remained until 1275. A second church, built in the 1360s, survived until the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539. The remains of St. Michael's Tower were restored in modern times.
Mythology
In Celtic mythology the tor was associated with Gwyn ap Nydd, who was first Lord of the Underworld, and later King of the Fairies. The tor was believed to be an entrance to Annwn or Avalon, the land of the fairies. The mystical significance of the place continued into the Middle Ages, when it was celebrated by an annual Tor Fair. Later the tor, its 5th century fort, and the name Avalon, became identified with the legendary Celtic hero King Arthur