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Stonehenge - Britain's Best Historic Site

Stonehenge has recently been voted 'Britain's Best Historic Site' by viewers of the UK TV History Channel.

Stonehenge was erected between 3,000 BC and 1,600 BC by no less than three different cultures and its orientation on the rising and setting sun has always been one of its remarkable features. Whether this was simply because the builders came from a sun worshipping culture, or because - as some scholars believe - the circle and its banks were part of a huge astronomical calendar, remains a mystery to this day.

Now designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Stonehenge is surrounded by the remains of ceremonial and domestic structures, some older than the monument itself. Altogether, the site covers some 2,600 hectares and comprises over 400 scheduled monuments.

Thanks to Stonehenge's shaped stones, unique jointing and perfect geometry, this amazing feat of engineering is not only the most sophisticated stone circle in the world, it is also unique in that it is the only one to have lintels around the top. The name Stonehenge - literally 'hanging stones' - is thought to originate from Anglo-Saxon times.

The Stones themselves came from two sources: the smaller bluestones from the Preseli Mountains in South Wales, and the larger Sarsen stones from the Marlborough Downs some twenty miles away. Interestingly, what we see today is only about half the original monument - some stones have fallen down, while others have been taken away to be used for building elsewhere.

View a virtual tour of the World Heritage Site on the English Heritage website or find out more about visiting Stonehenge.

Summer Solstice

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.

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.

Stonehenge landscape

Stonehenge is part of a larger complex of monuments either side of the nearby River Avon. These include Durrington Walls (Britain's largest henge) and Woodhenge. Both of these cicular enclosures once contained timber circles which were standing at the same time as the sarsen stomes were placed at Stonehenge around 2,600 - 2,500 BC at the end of the Stone Age. Archaeologists have been digging in this area to find out more about these sites and their link with Stonehenge as part of a Stonehenge Riverside Project.

The National Trust cares for the landscape around Stonehenge, and provides open access on foot to Stonehenge Down. Join a guided walk to get the most from your visit - you can join a group to explore the landscape's pehistoric monuments and learn about downland wildlife and hidden histories.

Future plans

Stonehenge is one of the most important and most frequently visited monuments in Britain. It is also an international icon, and attracts visitors from all over the world. Learn more about the project to improve the visitor facilities and presentation of the site in the future.

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