Stonehenge

Stonehenge is a Neolithic megalith monument near Amesbury in Wiltshire, begun around 3000 BCE and used continuously into the Bronze Age before being abandoned around 1400 BCE. What makes it remarkable is the logistics of its construction: the smaller bluestones were transported from the Preseli Hills in Wales, more than 250 kilometres away, by means that archaeologists still debate. The site is precisely aligned with the midsummer sunrise and midwinter sunset, suggesting astronomical or ritual intent, though its exact purpose — burial ground, ceremonial gathering place, solar calendar — remains unresolved. Today visitors start at a purpose-built visitor centre with an archaeological exhibition, then reach the stones by shuttle or a short walk across open Wiltshire countryside. A separately bookable Inner Circle access allows entry within the stone ring itself, where the scale of the sarsen trilithons — some weighing over 25 tonnes — becomes fully apparent.