AVEBURY, near Marlborough in Wiltshire, is one of Britain’s most famous stone circles. It was built about 4,000 years ago and once had 180 stones. Today, you can see two stone circles inside a larger outer circle. The main circle is surrounded by a henge, and the southern entrance still has a stone avenue used for processions.
BOSCAWEN-UN STONE CIRCLE, near Land’s End in Cornwall, is still used by the Cornish Gorsedd. Many offerings have been found here, and the site has a magical, faery ring atmosphere. The central stone is made of quartz.
BRYN-CELLI-DDU BURIAL CHAMBER, near Llandaniel Fab in Anglesey, is a Stone Age burial mound about 4,000 years old. A short passage leads to a central chamber with an upright stone used in rituals. Outside, you’ll find a replica standing stone with spiral marks; the original is in the National Museum of Wales.
BUTSER HILL, near Petersfield in Hampshire, is the site of an Iron Age farm, now reconstructed at the Ancient Farm Project. It is also an ancient hill fort with many barrows and is used by local pagans for ceremonies.
CADBURY CASTLE in Dorset is an ancient hill fort, not related to the chocolate company. It is said to be the site of King Arthur’s Camelot. The ramparts are from the Iron Age, but the site was used into Saxon times.
CALLANISH STANDING STONES on Lewis in the Western Isles are arranged in a unique cross shape and date from about 3,000 BC. This rare construction is surrounded by legends, and the stones may be aligned with the stars.
CASTELL DINAS BRAN, near Llangollen in North Wales, is an Iron Age hill fort used into the Middle Ages. The name Bran comes from a Celtic hero king. The site is also said to be the resting place of the Holy Grail.
CASTELL HENLLYS in Pembrokeshire, Wales, is an ancient Iron Age hill fort reconstructed with three roundhouses. It was featured in the program ‘Surviving the Iron Age.’
CASTLERIGG, near Keswick in Cumbria, has 33 standing stones, including the King Stone. It is one of the oldest stone circles in Britain, set in the Lake District mountains. Despite past seismic disturbances, its beauty remains.
CERNE ABBAS GIANT in Dorset is a famous chalk figure holding a club. It is believed to be about 1,500 years old and may represent Hercules or a Celtic god. Local legend says that maidens who sleep on the giant will become pregnant.
DANEBURY RINGS, near Andover in Hampshire, is a well-preserved Iron Age hill fort. Excavations show it was a developed site with streets during Roman times.
DIN LLIGWY ANCIENT VILLAGE, near Llanallgo in Anglesey, is the remains of a Romano-Celtic village abandoned in the 5th century AD. You can still see a chieftain’s dwelling, hearth, workshop, and a ritual place with an altar.
GLASTONBURY in Somerset is the legendary site of King Arthur’s Avalon. Arthur and Guinevere are said to be buried in the Abbey ruins. The Holy Grail is believed to be under Chalice Spring on the Tor, which is also thought to be the entrance to the Land of the Faeries.
IONA, off Mull in Argyll and Bute, is a sacred island once home to early Celtic Christians. St. Columba built a monastery here in 563 AD. Forty-eight Scottish kings are buried here. The current abbey dates from the 13th century, and St. Martin’s Cross is the oldest relic, from the 10th century.
LINDISFARNE in Northumberland, also called Holy Island, was founded by St. Aidan of Iona in 635 AD. It became known for scholarship but was plundered by Vikings in 875 AD. The last monks left during the Reformation.
LONG MAN OF WILMINGTON, near Eastbourne in Sussex, is a chalk figure on Windover Hill. The Long Man, or Woman, holds two poles, suggesting a doorway. Its age is uncertain, but it may be at least 2,000 years old.
LONG MEG AND HER DAUGHTERS, near Penrith in Cumbria, is one of the largest stone circles in Britain from the Bronze Age. Long Meg is a large sandstone stone with cup and ring marks, said to be a witch turned to stone. The other 70 granite stones are believed to be her coven.
MAES HOWE AND MINE HOWE CHAMBERED CAIRNS, near Kirkwall in Orkney, are impressive megalithic cairns. Large mounds cover stone passages leading to burial chambers. Mine Howe is thought to be more ritualistic, while Maes Howe was broken into by Vikings.
MAIDEN CASTLE, near Dorchester in Dorset, is one of the best surviving Iron Age hill forts in Britain. Its huge earthworks are striking. The Romans captured it in AD 43, and most inhabitants were killed.
MEN-AN-TOL, near Land’s End in Cornwall, is a famous three-stone monument that looks like a prehistoric “101.” Tradition says to climb through the holed stone nine times for healing and fertility.
MERRY MAIDEN’S STONE CIRCLE, near Land’s End in Cornwall, is another well-known monument. The stones are said to have star alignments. Legend says the Maidens were turned to stone for dancing on a Sunday.
MONA in Anglesey, also called Holy Island, is where the last Druids were killed by the Romans during the Boudiccan revolt in AD 69. This site marks a great loss, but also invites reflection on what has been gained since.
NEWGRANGE, near Drogheda in County Meath, is a famous Irish passage tomb from about 3,000 BC. It is known for its spiral carvings and for the way sunlight enters the tomb at the Winter Solstice.
OLD SARUM, near Salisbury in Wiltshire, is a large hill fort first built in the Iron Age. It was later used by Romans, Saxons, and Normans. At its peak, it had a castle and cathedral, but it was abandoned when Salisbury’s new cathedral was built.
POULNABRONE DOLMEN in County Clare, Ireland, is a striking portal burial chamber from about 2,500 BC. It is one of Ireland’s best-preserved ancient monuments.
ROLLRIGHT STONES, near Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire, are three groups of stones called the Kings Men, the Whispering Knights, and the Kings Stone. Built from the Neolithic to Bronze Ages, legend says a king and his men were turned to stone here.
SEAHENGE, near Flag Fen in Norfolk, was a rare timber circle from the Bronze Age. Most of it is gone now, but a reconstruction stands nearby, built by the ‘Time Team’ program.
SILBURY HILL, near West Kennet in Wiltshire, is part of the Avebury complex. This large prehistoric mound is the biggest of its kind in Europe. Its purpose is unknown, but it may have been used for processions.
SKARA BRAE PREHISTORIC VILLAGE in Kirkwall, Orkney, is one of the best-preserved Stone Age villages in Europe. It was buried under sand until a storm revealed it in 1850. The site has 5,000-year-old beds, cupboards, and dressers.
STANTON DREW STONE CIRCLE, near Bath, is a fine Neolithic site with three stone circles, two avenues, and a burial chamber. Recent excavations found a temple similar to Woodhenge.
STONEHENGE, near Amesbury in Wiltshire, is one of the world’s wonders. Built between 3,000 and 1,600 BC, it uses bluestone from Wales and sandstone from Marlborough Downs. The stones are aligned with the summer and winter solstices. Its purpose is still debated, but it remains a place of mystery and pilgrimage.
TARA, near Newgrange in County Meath, is the ancient ceremonial site of the High Kings of Ireland. Dating from about 500 BC, it is the setting for many legends of the Tuatha de Danaan.
TINTAGEL CASTLE in Cornwall is said to be where King Arthur was born, according to legend. The story was popularized by Geoffrey of Monmouth in the 12th century. Tintagel was first a Roman fort, then a Norman castle, and is also linked to the story of Tristram and Iseult.
UFFINGTON WHITE HORSE, near Wantage in Oxfordshire, is along the ancient Ridgeway route. The site has an Iron Age fort, a natural mound called Dragon Hill, and the famous White Horse cut into the chalk. It may have star alignments and was used in rituals.
WEST KENNET LONG BARROW, near West Kennet in Wiltshire, is a Neolithic tomb with a long mound, a passage, and side chambers. The entrance is guarded by a large stone. When first excavated, the remains of more than 30 people were found inside.
WOODHENGE, near Amesbury in Wiltshire, is a Neolithic ceremonial site that predates Stonehenge. Built around 2,300 BC, it has a bank, ditch, and six rings of timber posts. The entrance points to the rising sun on Midsummer’s Day, and a burial can be seen in the center.
