Britain's great prehistoric mystery
Stonehenge is the most famous prehistoric monument in Europe, a ring of huge standing stones raised on Salisbury Plain between around 3000 and 1500 BC. Some of the smaller bluestones were brought from the Preseli Hills in Wales, more than 200 kilometres away. Its purpose is still debated, but the monument aligns with the sunrise at the summer solstice and sunset at the winter solstice. The visitor centre explains the wider landscape of barrows and avenues, and the stone circle at Avebury and Salisbury Cathedral are nearby.