Stonehenge is probably the most famous Neolithic landmark in Europe. 
Many visitors come by coach and combine a short trip to see the visitor centre and the stones with a stop in Salisbury or Bath.  I think this is a pity as it was probably one of the largest Neolithic settlements in Britain. Under the short springy Wiltshire turf are a lot of other intriguing archaeological remains.

When President Barack Obama visited Britain he said it was cool to be able to tick it off his bucket list.

On Saturday our history walking group met at Larkhill car park close to one of the entrances to the Stonehenge World Heritage landscape. The site is managed by English Heritage and is free to explore. But there is a hefty charge to visit the stones themselves and the visitor centre. (Bill took the top photo without paying the entrance fee.)  At six miles, this was my longest post lockdown walk and I was glad that the countryside is very flat and well drained.

We had spectacular views over Salisbury Plain and we speculated that the early settlers may have been attracted by the sparse tree cover which would have made farming easier. The earliest farmers settled about 4,200 B.C. They grew wheat and barley and farmed cattle sheep and pigs. The land seems to have already had spiritual significance. They buried their dead in long barrows and post holes have been found for what may have been pine totem poles.

The pillars at Woodhenge mark the site of wooden postholes which were close to the village and not associated with the dead.

Durrington Walls

Durrington walls grew to be one of the largest new stone age villages in Britain. There is little to see now but 4,000 years ago over a thousand people may have lived in small wattle and daub huts. Remains show they had a thatched roof, a chalk floor, and a central hearth. It is thought that the builders of Stonehenge probably lived there.

Stonehenge

Around 2,500 B.C. seventy-five sarsen stones were brought from the nearby Marlborough Downs and erected to form a circle. More intriguingly smaller blue stones were brought to the site from the Preseli Hills in Wales about 200 miles away. We can speculate that they were the spoils of war or perhaps a new tribe bought their stone circle with them when they conquered new lands but we will never know. Incidentally, stone circles are quite common. About 1000 have been found in Britain.

Round barrows

This was not the end of the story. Stonehenge remained a sacred landscape and for the next thousand years, bronze age settlers continued to bury their dead close to Stonehenge.  About three hundred round or bell shaped barrows have been found within two miles of Stonehenge and excavators have often found a single skeleton with valuable grave goods. It seems likely that tribes continued to bury their chiefs in the landscape.

Druids and others

The site has attracted a lot of interest and wild theories over the years. Early archeologists guessed that it had belonged to the druids as they were the only British priests mentioned by the Romans. In fact, it is far earlier but that does not stop modern druids gathering nearby to celebrate the winter and summer solstice each year. The early archaeologists also interpreted two large rectangular earthworks as a chariot track and it is still known as the cursus, (circus.)

The cuckoo stone which is thought to be naturally occurring shows one of the reasons why the site is difficult to interpret.

Practicalities

Stonehenge is managed by English heritage. At present tickets have to be prebooked. For further details click here

Admission includes access to the visitor centre, cafe, gift shop, and toilets. There is a short walk to the stones or a shuttle bus for the less able. Check the guidelines for dogs.

It is free to wander around the wider landscape but there are no toilets or places to buy food. Dogs are not permitted in fields with sheep or cattle.

Stonehenge solving the mysteries Mike Parker Pearson

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