STONEHENGE. The great and ancient stone circle of Stonehenge is one of the wonders of the world.


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Across the British Isles can be found prehistoric remains which date from the period 3,000 BC to 1,500 BC, and take the form of a number of stones standing in a circle. The reason for their construction, and the role they played in the society of the time are now unknown. The most famous stone circle is Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England, but in all there are almost 1,000 other stone circles.

~ ST0NEHENGE NEWS
PLANS for the new £27.5million visitor centre and facilities at Stonehenge have been given the go ahead by Wiltshire Council. More.......

~ DID YOU KNOW?
The Blue Stones were from the Prescelly Mountains, located roughly 240 miles away, at the southwestern tip of Wales. More......

Many early historians were influenced by supernatural folktales in their explanations. Some legends held that Merlin the wizard had a giant build the structure for him or that he had magically transported it from Mount Killaraus in Ireland, while others held the Devil responsible. Henry of Huntingdon was the first to write of the monument around 1130 soon followed by Geoffrey of Monmouth who was the first to record fanciful associations with King Arthur which led the monument to be incorporated into the wider cycle of European medieval romance.

» The West Kennet Long Barrow

The West Kennet Long Barrow is a prehistoric burial mound near Avebury in Wiltshire,

England. It is one of the largest and best-preserved monuments of its kind in Britain. You can enter the barrow and explore five empty stone chambers in which humans were buried from 3700 to 2000 BC.

What to See

The West Kennet Long Barrow lies on a crest of a hill amidst scenic farmland. There is a nice view of nearby Silbury Hill from the barrow, which is reached by a 1/2-mile sloping footpath on grass and clover.

At 328 ft (100 m) long, West Kennet Long Barrow is the second-longest barrow in Britain. (East Kennet Barrow is longer.) The stone burial chambers begin at one end and extend only 40 ft (12 m) into the barrow. The rest of the barrow is composed of sarsen boulders and chalk, quarried from two parallel ditches that run along each side of the mound. The ditches are now mostly filled in, but were originally 12 ft (3-4 m) deep.

The stone chambers are now fully excavated and empty, but the construction of the five chambers remains fully intact. Small skylights of thick glass have been built into the ceiling, allowing for dim lighting of the tomb. Inside the entrance, a short passageway leads to two chambers on the left, two chambers on the right, and a larger chamber at the end.

Visit Wiltshire Links

Woodhenge
Burial Mounds
The Avenue
Normanton Down
Avebury Stone Circle
Silbury Hill
Chalk Hill Figures
West Kennet Long Barrow
Crop Circles
Old Sarum Hillfort
Salisbury City and Cathedral

English Heritage provides Managed Open Access to Stonehenge for the Summer Solstice and works closely with the many agencies, and people from all sectors of the community, in order to create a peaceful occasion - ensuring an event that can be safely enjoyed by all and protects Stonehenge and its surrounding Monuments. Further details on the entry conditions are available from English Heritage. Each year on the 21 June visitors from around the world gather at Stonehenge overnight to mark the summer solstice and to see the sunrise above the stones. At dawn the central Altar stone aligns with the Slaughter stone, Heel stone and the rising sun to the northeast. Falling on June 21st or 22nd, the Summer Solstice is a time of light and of fire. It is a time to reflect upon the growth of the season: the seeds that were planted in the earth and the seeds planted in our souls. It is a time of cleansing and renewal. It is a time of love and growth as well.