Notice

Stonehenge is a very special monument in England. It’s said to be more than 5000 years old. The “henge” in its name refers to circular structures from ancient times. In this case it refers to the circle of huge stones that stands upright in the centre of the monument.

No one knows exactly why Stonehenge was built. Some people believe it might have been used as a device for predicting the movement of the Moon. Stonehenge includes the largest stone constructions in the British Isles. The monument’s biggest stones are arranged in the shape of a horseshoe and are surrounded by another big circle of right tall ones. Originally all of these surrounding stones had stones on the top, covering them like caps. Some are still capped.

It is a circular ditch. Inside there are several other stones, including the Altar stone, the Slaughter stone, and two Station stones. In the northeast of Stonehenge there is the entrance. Outside there is the Heel Stone and a straight patch called the Avenue.

The Stonehenge that you can see today is more like a ruin. Much of it has probably disappeared with time and with changes brought on by the weather over thousands of years