The stone circle at Stonehenge is approximately 2.5 hours from London and a popular day-trip for many visitors . This is a brief look at its history and theories about why it's there. It's one of the UK's premier monuments, but has come under sustained criticism for the way it's portrayed and presented to the public. The plans to divert the nearby main road (A303) away from the site, were shelved after costs escalated dramatically to £450m.

There is a related article about the henge at Avebury which is nearby and although I would never discourage visitors from seeing Stonehenge, there is something unseemly about the way the experience is delivered. For me personally, Avebury is more unusual, older, it's free, and you can touch it. If you make the trek out to Stonehenge, try and fit Avebury in too - it's one of the most spectacular monuments in the UK.

Phases of Stonehenge

The first phase of Stonehenge was a large earthwork or 'henge', comprising a ditch, bank, and the "Aubrey holes", all probably built around 3000 BC. It's not known what the holes are for, but shortly after construction it was abandoned for over 1,000 years

The second phase started around 2150 BC. Eighty two bluestones from the Preseli Mountains, in Wales were transported to the site. A journey of over 200 miles, it involved their removal to the river, raft construction and floating, the navigation of many rivers, then finally - the dragging of the bluestones to the site. Logistically complex now, the planning and effort required at the time is scarcely imaginable.