Stone Circles In Britain Henges

Stone Circles In Britain

Britain’s most famous stone circles are Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain and Avebury in Wiltshire.

Stonehenge – Britain’s most famous stone circle or henge

History

These Neolithic monuments are over 5,000 years old and are among the oldest prehistoric remains in the country. Avebury is Britain’s largest stone circle followed by Stanton Drew in Somerset.

Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain

Other Stone Circles

However, there are many, many other less well-known neolithic and Early Bronze Age stone circles, henges, cairns, and barrows scattered around the British Isles with over 1,000 stone circles alone documented.

Britain’s stone circles include Nine Stones Close (though only four stones still stand) in Derbyshire, Black Tor Row on Dartmoor in Devon, Merrivale Rows also on Dartmoor, Swinside Stone Circle in the Lake District, and the Merry Maidens Stone Circle in Cornwall.

A stone circle in Portugal 2,000 years older than Stonehenge

Avebury stone circle in Wiltshire – the largest in Britain

The Function of Stone Circles

Archaeologists still debate the exact function of Britain’s stone circles, though the evidence points to them being multi-functional, having some sort of ceremonial and ritual purpose including possibly ancestor worship, along with burial and celestial observation.

Standing stones in Dartmoor, Devon

Accommodation in Salisbury

Places to stay in Salisbury near to Stonehenge include the three-star Cathedral Hotel, the four-star Dean Court Hotel, the four-star Mercure Salisbury White Hart Hotel and the four-star Legacy Rose & Crown Hotel. The Best Western Red Lion Hotel is set in a 13th-century building on Milford Street with a recommended restaurant. The hotel boasts antique bespoke furnishings made on site as well as individually decorated rooms.

See a listing of hotels in Salisbury from luxury hotels to budget hostels and guest houses.