The Mysterious History of Stonehenge
England is a much older country than say Italy (only just over 200 years old). So we have quite a few prehistoric monuments! You can find a full list of these at English Heritage, if you’re a bit of a history buff.
Standing on Salisbury Plain, Stonehenge is an ancient circle of stones, likely built over 4000 years ago. Nobody is quite sure why the stones are there, nor how they got there (possibly by water, back in the day).
It is said that the stones could be burial stones, or even that they were some kind of astronomy formation. Bath’s Royal Crescent is said to be influenced by the design.
There are two main types of stones at Stonehenge: sarsen stones and bluestones. The large sarsen stones weigh up to 25 tonnes and were probably dragged from Marlborough Downs, about 20 miles away.
The smaller bluestones came from the Preseli Hills in south-west Wales, more than 150 miles away. Moving these stones across rivers, hills, and fields without modern machines shows the builders’ planning and skill.
Although often celebrated at Summer Solstice, some of the ‘hippies’ that visit are not so earth-friendly. Many have been banned by the local council, for leaving too much litter.
Nearby, Avebury Stone Circle is not as well known, but this stone circle is just as remarkable. Dating back to around 2600BC, it sits around the village of the same name. And while Stonehenge is fenced, here you can walk up to the stones, and touch them to say hello!
