Spotlight on Stonehenge
Over 5,000 years ago, our ancestors built what would become one of the world's most iconic monuments. Stonehenge's mysteries are still the focus of speculation, celebration and intense research today.
Discover what we know - and what we don't - on a day out at this incredible place.
Why We Love Stonehenge
"We love a day out at Stonehenge. There is a certain magical quality up there, so peaceful, so mysterious, so my two boys (10 and 8) and I were very excited." - Sarah, English Heritage Member (via Facebook)
"The transport to the stones was excellent. After viewing the stones we went on a 10 mile walk to look at the southern landscape, which was really interesting." - Christina, English Heritage Member (via Facebook)
Plan your visitTake a Closer Look
This is the face of a man who was born 5,500 years ago.
That's about 500 years before the first monument was built at Stonehenge itself, but at a time when the wider landscape was becoming important to our Neolithic ancestors. The man's features have been forensically reconstructed from his skeleton, which was discovered in the 1860s.
His skeleton has provided us with fascinating glimpses into his life. He moved to the area around Stonehenge a few years after being born in Wales. We know that he was from a well-to-do family for a number of reasons. He was taller than average, ate more meat than other people at the time, and in the years after his death his burial mound was extended to become one of the largest in Neolithic Britain.
Discover the History of StonehengeWhat Makes Stonehenge Special?
Medieval people thought Stonehenge was built by Merlin, and 17th century antiquarians couldn't agree on whether it had been built by Romans or Druids. We now know that the unique stone circle was built by ancient Britons around 2500 BC, but many questions remain unanswered.
Was it a centre of healing, or sun-worship? A place of burial? Did worshippers dance around the stones? Were the stones painted, or garlanded in flowers? This enduring mystery - as much as its enduring physical presence - is a large part of what makes Stonehenge so special.
Then and Now
To mark 100 years of visits at Stonehenge, we asked some people to recreate their holiday pictures. Scroll through to see them Then and Now.
Bob Heyhoe, 1960
Jane Vellender, late 1960s
Jennifer Banks with her mother and dog, 1957
Lesley Tweed's family, c. 1955
Susan Lane (seated), 1966
Taney Roniger and her father, 1971
Ian Roure, 1970
Helena Myska (L) with her mother and sister in 1970/71
Bob Heyhoe today
Jane Vellender today
Jennifer Banks with her daughter today
Lesley Tweed and family today
Susan Lane today with daughter and husband
Taney Roniger today with her husband
Ian Roure today
Helena Myska today with sister and niece
3 Things To Look Out For At Stonehenge
- The birds - "The jackdaws nest under the lintel stones," explains Carol, who has worked at Stonehenge for twenty years. "We also have rooks that come up. They're very gentle, and very tame. There's one or two that sit on our hands for us to feed them."
- Neolithic houses - Outside the visitor centre, wander around the Neolithic houses, and step inside to imagine life 4,500 years ago. Speak to our volunteers to discover how the houses were built using authentic materials and techniques, and see demonstrations of ancient domestic crafts.
- The Avenue - Leading into the earthwork enclosure, the Avenue was built to connect Stonehenge with the river Avon and West Amesbury. Today it can still be seen as low parallel banks forming a corridor around 12 metres across.
Special Exhibition
Alongside the main museum, the visitor centre is home to a special exhibition gallery which tells other stories about the history of Stonehenge. Previous exhibitions have included beautiful objects on loan from the British Museum helping to set Stonehenge in its prehistoric world, an exploration of the food that fed the builders of Stonehenge and Wish You Were Here, showcasing the history of Stonehenge as a visitor attraction. Entry is included in the regular Stonehenge ticket price.
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