Each year in late June, Stonehenge draws a sizable crowd to the Salisbury Plain, in celebration of a day that people have been taking note of for thousands of years. The stone circles of Stonehenge and Avebury are theorized to have charted major astronomical events like the solstices and equinoxes. While the big two get most of the press,we were surprised to read that there are close to 1,000 such sites throughout the Isles. Brave New Traveler – part of the Matador Network – pulled together some shots of both the big names and others you might not have heard of. Enjoy and happy summer!
Clearly the most well-known Stone Circle in the world, Stonehenge draws in tourists daily, but sees an even bigger crowd for their morning sunrise festival on the summer solstice. [image]
Stanton Drew is England’s second biggest stone circle. [image]
Forget the better known stone circle in England, Avebury is the world’s largest. [image]
The Hurlers are three stone circles in a line across the scenic landscape of Bodmin Moor in Cornwall. [image]
Merry Maidens, also in Cornwall, is one of the few ‘true’ stone circles in Cornwall, as they are perfectly circular. [image]
To see more of Britain’s mysterious stone circles, or to learn more about their connection to the summer solstice, visit Brave New Traveler.
