Prehistoric England A-Z

I love these prehistoric sites. There's just something so mysterious and intriguing about them. Please don't visit Britain without seeing at least one, and see if you can stay til sunset! You won't forget the experience. What's the difference between a causewayed camp and a hill fort, anyway? When were those blasted stone circles built, and why? For some answers to these pressing questions, visit the prehistoric monuments page in our History section.

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See also: Ancient Scotland | Wales

Abbotsbury Castle    An Iron Age Hillfort to the northwest of Abbotsbury village. The fort encloses an area of 4 acres, and within the double ramparts, the outlines of huts can still be seen. The location is superb, with views across Lyme Bay. Abbotsbury, Dorset, England Attraction Type: Prehistoric Location: From the B3157 just west of Abbotsbury a narrow road leads up Wear Hill (signposted ). A small layby on the left allows parking for several cars. A path leads from the downhill side of the layby. The way can be slippery. Details of Abbotsbury Castle OS SY555 866 Heritage Rating:   ? Nearest attractions and accommodation     Nearest: hotels - cottages - Bed and Breakfasts

Arbor Low    Henge monument with the addition of a later stone circle. A Bronze Age round barrow was later grafted onto the rear of the site. Arbor Low has been called the finest henge monument in the north of England. The site is composed of a henge with the addition of a later stone circle. The outer bank of the henge is roughly circular, measuring about 259 x 246 feet in diameter. Within the bank is a ditch about 6 feet deep and 30 feet wide. The weathered limestone stones are not standing, but lie in a rough circle pointing outwards. There is no firm evidence to suggest whether the stones were originally standing or not; speculation exists that they were knocked down by zealous Christians, but they may also have been laid down by the builders of the circle. Upper Oldhams Farm, Monyash Bakewell, Derbyshire, England Attraction Type: Prehistoric Location: half mile off A515 Website: Arbor Low Phone: 01629 816 200 English Heritage Details of Arbor Low OS SK160 635 Heritage Highlight: The sheer size of this prehistoric site is its greatest attribute Heritage Rating:   ? Nearest attractions and accommodation     Nearest: hotels - cottages - Bed and Breakfasts

Arthur's Stone   Arthur's Stone is a Neolithic burial chamber on a low hillside overlooking the River Dore and Herefordshire's Golden Valley. The chamber is built of large slabs of stone which would originally have been covered with turf. Inside the turf mound the stones were arranged to create a cromlech with an entrance passage. There are nine stones shaping the chamber with five of the stones supporting a huge capstone. Dorstone, Herefordshire, England Attraction Type: Prehistoric Location: On a minor road off the B4348 north of Dorstone. Open access site. Website: Arthur's Stone English Heritage - Photos of Arthur's Stone OS SO318430 Heritage Rating:   ? Nearest attractions and accommodation     Nearest: hotels - cottages - Bed and Breakfasts

Avebury Sanctuary   Traditionally known simply as 'The Sanctuary', this is a complex late Neolithic site, with the major phase of construction in about 2500 BCE. The Sanctuary is comprised of a concentric arrangement of wooden and stone posts. The location of the post holes is marked by concrete marker stones, which, while missing a lot of the atmosphere of well-preserved stone circles, does help you to easily view the layout of the site. Overton Hill, A4 East Kennett, Wiltshire, England Attraction Type: Prehistoric Location: Immediately beside the A4 at the top of Overton Hill. Parking in a small layby (south side of the road) or in the lane opposite (north side). Website: Avebury Sanctuary English Heritage - Photos of Avebury Sanctuary OS SU118680 Heritage Highlight: Though not imposing, the historical significance of this site, joined to the rest of the Avebury complex, is impressive. Heritage Rating:   ? Nearest attractions and accommodation     Nearest: hotels - cottages - Bed and Breakfasts

Avebury Stone Circle    Avebury is unique in that the village of Avebury lies partly within the henge, or outer circle of stones, and a road splits the circle. The main Avebury stone circle is roughly a quarter mile across, enclosing an area of about 28 acres, and it contains two smaller circles within it. There is an avenue of stones leading away from the circle towards Overton Hill a mile and a half away, and it has been speculated by some archaeologists that the avenue was constructed to form the body of a snake, with the circle as the snake's head. The avenue stones alternate from tall and thin to broad and trapezoidal, leading to more speculation that they represent males and females respectively. There is a very steep ditch and bank surrounding the stone circle. Excavation shows that the ditch was originally about 30 feet deep, with the bank an equal height. Do your math - that makes for a 60 foot tall barrier! Avebury probably served as a religious and ceremonial centre, though what those beliefs or ceremonies were we do not know. We also don't know quite when the site was built, though the current best guess (subject to change at a moment's notice, it seems) is that it was begun in about 3000 BC. Nearby are West Kennet Long Barrow and Silbury Hill. Well worth visiting. Marlborough, Wiltshire, England, SN8 1RF Attraction Type: Prehistoric Location: 6 m W Marlborough on the A4361 Website: Avebury Stone Circle Email: avebury@nationaltrust.org.uk Phone: 01672 539 250 Fax: 01672 539 388 National Trust Location map Details of Avebury Stone Circle OS SU100 699 Heritage Highlight: The largest prehistoric monument in England Heritage Rating:   ? Nearest attractions and accommodation     Nearest: hotels - cottages - Bed and Breakfasts

Badbury Rings    Contained within the considerable estates of Kingston Lacy House is this Iron Age hillfort, surrounded by three concentric ditches and ramparts. It has been conjectured that Badbury is the site of Mons Badonicus (Mount Badon) - the great battle at which King Arthur defeated the advancing Germanic tribes of Angles, Saxons, and Jutes in the late 5th or early 6th century. Kingston Lacy, Shapwick, Dorset, England Attraction Type: Prehistoric Location: One mile from Shapwick, off the B3082 between Wimborne Minster and Blandford Forum. National Trust Details of Badbury Rings OS ST964 029 Heritage Rating:   ? Nearest attractions and accommodation     Nearest: hotels - cottages - Bed and Breakfasts

Ballowall Barrow    A prehistoric burial site in a marvellous clifftop location, Ballowall was used throughout the Neolithic and Middle Bronze Age. The cairn, which is 67 feet in diamter, was concealed for many years beneath the spoilage of tin mining, but when finally excavated in 1878 revealed that the site was based around a round chambered cairn, entered by a covered galllery about 11 feet long. St Just, Cornwall, England Attraction Type: Prehistoric Location: At Ballowall Common, on a minor road 1 mile to the west of St Just. Open access site Website: Ballowall Barrow English Heritage OS SW354313 Heritage Rating:   ? Nearest attractions and accommodation     Nearest: hotels - cottages - Bed and Breakfasts

Belas Knap   A chambered tomb dating from about 1400BC. Thirty eight skeletons were discovered in the tomb, and these and other artifacts can be seen in the folk museum in Winchcombe. Winchcombe, Cotswolds, Gloucestershire, England Attraction Type: Prehistoric Location: Northeast of Cheltenham, off B3642 Details of Belas Knap OS SP021254 Heritage Rating:   ? Nearest attractions and accommodation     Nearest: hotels - cottages - Bed and Breakfasts

Bevis's Thumb    A Neolithic long barrow named after a legendary local giant named Bevis, or Beavis. The old tales tell that Bevis ate an ox washed down with two hogshead of beer every week. This same Bevis was said to have cast his sword off the parapets of Arundel Castle. Compton, West Sussex, England Attraction Type: Prehistoric Location: Eight miles south west of Midhurst, off the B2146. From Compton follow signs for the Mardens. OS SU787154 Nearest attractions and accommodation     Nearest: hotels - cottages - Bed and Breakfasts

Bigbury Camp    An Iron Age hill fort which was the scene of British resistance against Roman invaders in 54AD. The Romans subsequently used the hill fort as a military encampment site. Finds unearthed during excavations at Bigbury can be seen at both Canterbury and Maidstone museums. Bigbury Camp, Kent, England Attraction Type: Prehistoric OS TR116576 Heritage Rating:   ? Nearest attractions and accommodation     Nearest: hotels - cottages - Bed and Breakfasts

Blackbury Camp    An Iron Age hill fort set in lovely woodlands. Blackbury Camp (sometimes called Blackbury Castle) stands on a spur of land looking down on tributaries of the River Coly. Southleigh, Devon, England Attraction Type: Prehistoric Location: On a minor road south west of Southleigh village. Parking onsite. Open access. Website: Blackbury Camp English Heritage OS SY187921 Heritage Rating:   ? Nearest attractions and accommodation     Nearest: hotels - cottages - Bed and Breakfasts

Blakely Rise stone circle   A small stone circle of 11 stones, set in a lovely moorland location south of Ennerdale Bridge. Not the largest, nor the most imposing, but a very attractive stone circle in a lovely setting. Ennerdale Bridge, Lake District, Cumbria, England Attraction Type: Prehistoric Location: Just off the minor road south of Ennerdale Bridge towards Hailes. Easy parking on the roadside. Details of Blakely Rise stone circle - Photos of Blakely Rise stone circle OS NY060139 Heritage Rating:   ? Nearest attractions and accommodation     Nearest: hotels - cottages - Bed and Breakfasts

Bloodgate Hill Hillfort    An Iron Age hillfort, located on a hill above the village of South Creake. It is unusual to find Iron Age forts in Norfolk, and Bloodgate hill is one of the best. The origin of the name 'Bloodgate' is unknown, and it is unlikely to denote anything remotely bloody! The fort is almost completely circular, with a smaller ring within the perimeter, from which Iron Age pottery has been recovered. South Creake, Norfolk, England, NR21 9LZ Attraction Type: Prehistoric Website: Bloodgate Hill Hillfort Location map OS TF848353 Nearest attractions and accommodation     Nearest: hotels - cottages - Bed and Breakfasts

Bratton Camp    Bratton Camp is an Iron Age hillfort on Bratton Down, with two ditches and banks enclosing an arrea of 25 acres. At the centre of the site is a Neolithic long barrow, which predates the hillfort by up to 2000 years. B3098, Bratton, Wiltshire, England Attraction Type: Prehistoric Location: Off the B3098 2 miles east of Westbury. Parking available. Website: Bratton Camp English Heritage OS ST899514 Heritage Rating:   ? Nearest attractions and accommodation     Nearest: hotels - cottages - Bed and Breakfasts

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