What Is Stonehenge? History, Facts & Why It Was Built Stonehenge is a prehistoric stone circle monument on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England, built in stages between approximately 3000 BCE and 1500 BCE by Neolithic and Bronze Age communities. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, visited by around one million people annually. Its purpose … Read more
Inside the Stonehenge Visitor Centre: What to See & How to Make the Most of It The Stonehenge Visitor Centre, opened in 2013, is approximately 1.5km from the stone circle. It includes a permanent exhibition of over 250 archaeological objects (on loan from Salisbury Museum and Wiltshire Museum), a 360-degree audio-visual theatre showing the stone … Read more
The Stones: Types, Origins & How They Got There Stonehenge has two main types of stone: sarsens (large sandstone blocks averaging 25 tonnes, sourced from West Woods near Marlborough, approximately 25km away) and bluestones (smaller igneous stones averaging 2–4 tonnes, sourced from the Preseli Hills in southwest Wales, approximately 240km away). The sarsens form the … Read more
Stonehenge at Sunrise & Solstice: What It’s Really Like Stonehenge at sunrise during the Stone Circle Experience is a private, atmospheric, close-up encounter with the monument outside normal hours — limited to 52 people, priced at £70 for adults. The summer solstice (21 June 2026, sunrise approximately 4:52am) is a free mass public event with … Read more
Stonehenge Landscape: Avebury, Woodhenge & Nearby Sites Guide The Stonehenge UNESCO World Heritage Site encompasses a wider prehistoric landscape containing dozens of monuments beyond the stone circle itself. The most significant include Avebury (the world’s largest stone circle, 30km north), Silbury Hill (Europe’s largest prehistoric mound), West Kennet Long Barrow, Woodhenge (a timber circle 3km … Read more
Stonehenge Photography Guide: Best Spots, Times & Tips (2026) The best times to photograph Stonehenge are early morning (9:30am opening slot in spring or autumn) for soft directional light and minimal crowds, and during inner circle access sessions at dawn or dusk for close-up shots without restrictions. From the standard viewing path, low-angle morning or … Read more
Stonehenge Myths, Legends & Theories: The Complete Guide Stonehenge has attracted myths and theories for nearly 1,000 years. The most famous legends involve Merlin, Giants, Druids, and aliens — all of which archaeology has disproved or cannot support. The serious modern theories, based on excavation and scientific analysis, are: Stonehenge as an astronomical monument aligned … Read more
The Heel Stone & Key Features of Stonehenge Explained The Heel Stone is a rough, unworked sarsen standing 4.9 metres above ground north-east of the stone circle entrance. On the summer solstice, the sun rises approximately above it as seen from the centre of the monument — the most famous of Stonehenge’s solar alignments. Other … Read more
