An ancient obelisk said to mark the grave of a Cornish King's nephew, whose doomed love became one of the greatest romances in history, is to be shifted to make way for "mundane" housing.
The Tristan Stone, a scheduled ancient monument which lies on the road to Fowey, is believed to date from before the 5th century.
However, it is now destined to be moved after Cornwall Council gave permission for a park and ride and 80 houses to be built on the field next to the site.
Councillor Bert Biscoe, a member of Cornwall Council's cabinet, condemned the decision to move the stone as "cultural violence".
Mr Biscoe added: "How dare anybody presume to shift it without good reason – and building a load of mundane houses in its vicinity is not good reason."
The somewhat weather- beaten seven-foot high obelisk is reputed to mark the grave of Tristan, nephew of King Mark of Cornwall.
The young nobleman's forbidden love for the fair Iseult, or Isolde, has provided inspiration for poets and storytellers across the world through the centuries.
