A Plen An Gwarry is a Cornish amphitheatre where mystery plays were staged, it is also an outdoor meeting place, sports arena, and may have had some religious significance related to the staging of festivals.

The Plen An Gwarry in St Just in Penwith

St Just in Penwith

St Just is a town and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The parish encompasses the town of St Just and the nearby settlements of Trewellard, Pendeen and Kelynack: it is bounded by the parishes of Morvah to the north-east, Sancreed and Madron to the east, St Buryan and Sennen to...

, Cornwall

Cornwall

Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...

, is over six hundred years old; probably the oldest working outdoor theatre in Britain, it is central to the celebrations of the annual Lafrowda Day

Lafrowda Day

Lafrowda Day is an annual festival of arts and music held on the third Saturday in July every year and based around the town of St Just in Penwith in Cornwall....

 festival.



There is evidence to suggest that Bartinney Castle

Bartinney Castle

.Bartinney Castle is an Iron Age enclosure located in the Penwith Peninsula of South West Cornwall, it is surrounded by a circular earthworks standing on a hill surrounded by various archaeological prehistoric remains including ancient settlements, field systems, tumuli and Cairns.One mile to the...

 near Sancreed

Sancreed

Sancreed is a village and civil parish in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The village is situated approximately three miles from Penzance....

 in the Penwith Peninsula may have been an Iron Age

Iron Age

The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...

 Plen An Gwarry for the celebration of Celtic Fire festival

Fire Festival

"Fire Festival" should not be confused with the traditional Himatsuri fire festivals in JapanThe Fire Festival is an annual professional wrestling round-robin tournament held by Pro Wrestling ZERO1-MAX to determine the top wrestler in the promotion, typically contested in late July/early August...

s.

We meet at this Round, this Plen-an-Gwarry,

This gathering place of Cornish men in times

Past, present and future: an amphitheatre

Where all the hopes of grace and fears of death,

Hell’s torments and the shining joys of heaven

Are made apparent, by the actor’s skill, to them

Who watch the mysteries ordained by God.