Stonehenge at Sunset

The first earthen monuments in the immediate Stonehenge area date to around 8000 BC. The standing stones that we are so familiar with were set up within the monument in around 2500 BC. These stones have been placed in varying arrangements over time. No one knows exactly why the stones were erected, but many have speculated about their purpose. It is obvious that they are aligned to certain seasonal astronomical events, such as the solstices. We do know that the area was very important as a burial ground, too. As many as 150 individuals are thought to have been originally buried before the stones were placed. The remains of many individuals have been buried or cremated both before and after the stones were set to stand in their current configuration.

Here’s a gallery of pictures from our sunset visit to the stones … which, we are happy to report, are much larger than were depicted in the Spinal Tap concert footage of their 1984 hit song ‘Stonehenge’ : )