Stonehenge

Stonehenge is a prehistoric stone monument on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, south-west England. According to Lonely Planet it was built in stages between around 3000 and 2000 BCE, with tweaks continuing until about 1500 BCE. Two stone circles, trilithons (stones topped with lintels) and a horseshoe of stones form the monument, with the Altar Stone at its centre. Up to 80 smaller bluestones were moved about 240 km from the Preseli Hills in Wales.

Stonehenge has nothing to do with the Celts: according to Lonely Planet they did not arrive in England until around 300 BCE. Its purpose is unknown. At the summer solstice the sun shines past the Heel Stone into the centre of the monument.

Practical notes: you view the stones from the visitor path, from about 10 m away according to Lonely Planet and as close as 5 m according to English Heritage. Most visitors spend two to three hours. Book tickets in advance and check opening times and booking rules (Lonely Planet: updated February 2022). Access at the solstice is generally free but very crowded. Avebury Stone Circle is about a 30-minute drive away, according to Lonely Planet, and free to explore.