Stonehenge

The word henge refers to a particular type of earthwork of the Neolithic period, typically consisting of a roughly circular or oval-shaped bank with an internal ditch surrounding a central flat area of more than 20 m in diameter. There is typically little if any evidence of occupation in a henge, although they may contain ritual structures such as stone circles, timber circles and coves.

The third stop of our tour was Stonehenge.   A truly remarkable place of which little is actually known.   They believe that it was to do with timing the summer and winter solstices and that it was built in more than one stage.   That's about it.   The rest is conjecture.

Of course I couldn't get an aerial picture of the rings but I found this in the information hall.   Today people aren't allowed near the stones.   Where Ruth is standing is the closest you can get to them.

People can't get to the stones but the birds can :)

These stones aren't local; they come from Wales some distance away.   The questions are:  Why these particular stones and why here?   It is quite possible that no-one will ever know as there were no pictographs or images left behind.   Under some stones they found human remains but it is not believed to be a burial monument.

Each top stone has a hollow that is located to the uprights by this tenon.