STONE BOTHERING

Silbury Hill is one of the largest prehistoric human-made mounds in the world. It's believed to have been built between 2470 and 2350 BC. Its original purpose is unknown. The mound is composed mainly of chalk and clay and it stands about 30 metres high. The mound we see today was not constructed in a single campaign, but enlarged over several generations. The mound was excavated in 1776 by Edward Drax, who directed a group of miners to dig a vertical shaft from the summit to the centre of the mound. Edward Drax expected to find a central burial chamber, but he didn't find anything. The mound was excavated again in 1849. This time, a horizontal tunnel was dug into the mound. Again, no central burial chamber was found. Between 1968 and 1970, another tunnel was excavated. This investigation led to the conclusion that Silbury Hill had three different phases of construction. The tunnels were never backfilled which contributed to the opening of a crater on the summit and the collapsi

Avebury is a village in the county of Wiltshire in England known for containing a significant number of ancient monuments. The most famous monument is the Avebury Stone Circle. Avebury Stone Circle is the world's largest stone circle, comprising of other monuments within it, including a cove and two stone circles. The stone circle is located inside the henge that encircles part of Avebury village. Some stones at Avebury have names and these names are based on the stories that are related to the stones. Most of the stones are part of the stone circles. But two of them form a stone setting that is believed to be older than the stone circles. DEVIL'S CHAIR This stone got its name from a naturally formed seat on one side of the stone. Directly above the seat is a hole known as "chimney". Legend has it that if you run around the stone anti-clockwise, you will summon the Devil. RING STONE The Ring Stone is a broken piece of stone once smashed by an enraged church minister.

Mitchell's Fold Stone Circle is a Bronze Age monument constructed over 3,000 years ago, using dolerite stones. The stone circle is comprised of 15 stones arranged in a rough circle. However, some people believe that there may once have been as many as 30 stones. The tallest stone was once one of a pair and these would have formed the entrance into the circle. The remaining stone stands close to the line of the Southern moonrise. Mitchell's Fold Stone Circle is located near the village of White Grit in the county of Shropshire in England. © All rights reserved

The Cerrig Duon Complex consists of a stone circle, stone rows, a standing stone and an arrangement of stones. These monuments date back to the Bronze Age period (between 2500 - 800 BC) and probably were part of a ceremonial site. The stone circle comprises 20 stones that rise to no more than 0.6m in height. There are two stone rows nearby the stone circle but it can be very difficult to see them because of their size. The Maen Mawr Standing Stone is the largest stone of the complex. This stone aligns with other two small stones. Some people suggest that Maen Mawr acts like the gnomon of a sundial, projecting a shadow that aligns with the small stones on midsummer day. The Compass Stones are an arrangement of stones not very far from the stone circle. The high points of the stones are aligned to the cardinal points. Some people believe that this could have been a cairn. The Cerrig Duon Complex is located in the Brecon Beacons National Park in Wales. © All rights reserved

The Peak District became the first of the national parks in England and Wales in 1951. The prehistoric landscape attracts thousands of visitors every year. Here we list places that are worth a visit in this amazing national park. THE ROACHES The Roaches is a prominent rocky ridge formed from a thick bed of coarse sandstone of Namurian age, which occurs widely across the Peak District. The gritstone escarpment consists of amazing rock formations which are very popular with hikers and rock climbers. The most famous rock formations are Hen Cloud and Ramshaw Rocks. DOVEDALE Dovedale is a limestone valley famous for its interesting rock formations. The rock formations are the result of fossilised remains of sea creatures that lived in a shallow sea over the area during the Carboniferous period, about 350 million years ago. The rocks were cut into craggy shapes by glacial meltwater during the two ice ages and formed the landscape we see in these days. The caves in the area were also formed d

Gloucestershire is a historic county in England, that comprises part of the Cotswolds Hills, part of the valley of the River Severn and the Forest of Dean. The county contains many ancient sites and here we list 5 places that are worth a visit. BELLAS KNAP LONG BARROW Belas Knap Long Barrow is a Neolithic chambered tomb, trapezoidal in plan and it consists of a false entrance and four burial chambers. It's believed that it was constructed around 3000 BC by the Neolithic people as a place to bury their dead. The barrow was excavated twice revealing the remains of human skeletons together with animal bones and fragments of pottery. The excavators also reported finding a circle of flat stones beneath the centre of the mound. Unfortunately, these stones were later removed. MINCHINHAMPTON LONGSTONE The Longstone of Minchinhampton also known as the Holey Stone is a single standing stone with natural holes in it. It's believed that the monolith is about 4,000 years old. Local legend s

Wiltshire is home to some of the most impressive ancient sites in England. Some of them are well known and attract thousands of visitors every year. But there are also some lesser known sites that are worth a closer look. LANHILL LONG BARROW Lanhill Long Barrow also known as Hubba's Low, is a Neolithic chambered long barrow constructed about 5,000 years ago. Evidence suggests that the barrow had three burial chambers, but only one survives. Unfortunately much of the barrow was destroyed by farmers over the last centuries. It was once included among the most important antiquities in Wiltshire. The barrow was partially excavated in 1909. Several human skeletons were found in the chambers. COATE STONE CIRCLE Coate Stone Circle is a partly visible stone circle containing five recumbent sarsen stones. Based on his observations in the 1890s, the antiquarian A. D. Passmore suggested that the circle would have once contained over thirty stones. He recorded nine stones surviving as part of