Recommended reason
- Visit Stonehenge, one of the most historic sites in Britain
- Piecing together the history of these 5,000-year-old stones
- Explore one of the world's most mysterious ancient monuments
Stonehenge
The massive and ancient Stonehenge is one of the wonders of the world. Today, visitors see the extensive remains of the last in a series of such monuments built between approximately 3000 BC and 1600 BC. Each monument is a circular structure that aligns with the rising of the sun at the midsummer solstice.
There has been intense debate about the purpose of Stonehenge. It is, of course, a focal point in a landscape filled with prehistoric ritual structures. It also represents a huge investment of labour and time. It took a huge effort and strong organisation to transport the stones tens, sometimes hundreds, of miles by land and water, and to shape and raise them. Only a complex society could have assembled such a large workforce and the design and construction skills required to build Stonehenge and its surrounding monuments.
Stonehenge's orientation relative to sunrise and sunset has long been one of its most striking features. Whether this was because its builders came from a culture that worshipped the sun, or because - as some scholars assert - the circle and its banks were part of a vast astronomical calendar, remains a mystery. What is undeniable is the ingenuity of Stonehenge's builders. Using only very basic tools, they shaped the stones and formed the mortises and tenons that connected the columns and lintels. They used antlers and bones to dig pits to hold the stones, and to build the banks and ditches that enclosed the stones.
This 5,000-year-old monument in the heart of a World Heritage site is full of mysteries. Visit this prehistoric site and decide for yourself whether Stonehenge was a place of sun worship, a healing sanctuary, a sacred burial ground, or something entirely different!
address:
Stonehenge, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 7DE
Salisbury SP4 7DE
Nearest train station: Salisbury
Opening hours:
April 1 to May 26 and September 4 to March 28: 9:30 am to 5:00 pm (last admission at 3:00 pm)
May 27 to September 3: 9:30am to 7:00pm (last admission at 5:00pm)
Closed on December 25th and Christmas Day
Booking Policy
- Last admission is 2 hours before closing time
- Opening hours may vary during the summer solstice (June 20-21) and winter solstice (December 22)
- Tickets do not include audio guide
- Ticket holders get 25% off a Stonehenge guide , show your wristband to receive your discount
- You will receive your e-ticket via email 1 working day after booking.
