Avoid petty laws and useless officials. Balance personal rights with social duties. Prize truth — beauty — love — seeking harmony with the infinite. Be not a cancer on the Earth — Leave room for nature — Leave room for nature.

Stonehenge is protected under the Ancient Monuments and Archaelogical Areas Act and you must adhere to the regulations outlined in the act or face criminal prosecution. No person may touch, lean against, stand on or climb the stones, or disturb the ground in any way.

Research in the last decade has confirmed that the igneous bluestones were brought to Stonehenge from the Preseli Hills in Pembrokeshire, over 200km to the west. The sandstones have been tracked to eastern Wales although the exact outcrops have yet to be found.

At Stonehenge, it’s always been about the Sun. For more than 4,000 years, the monument has stood like a giant sundial, marking the longest day of the year, and the shortest — taking aim at the Sun like a giant stone gunsight.

The prehistoric monument of Stonehenge has long been studied for its possible connections with ancient astronomy. The site is aligned in the direction of the sunrise of the summer solstice and the sunset of the winter solstice.

At the summer solstice, around 21 June, the sun rises behind the Heel Stone and its first rays shine into the heart of Stonehenge. Although the tallest trilithon at the monument is no longer standing, the sun would have set between the narrow gap of these uprights during the winter solstice.

The purpose of Stonehenge is astronomical. It is carefully aligned so that, if one sits at the center, one has a clear view of the summer-solstice sun rising over the heel stone.

At Stonehenge on the summer solstice, the sun rises behind the Heel Stone in the north-east part of the horizon and its first rays shine into the heart of Stonehenge.

Mystery solved? 5 Theories That Explain Stonehenge

1. It’s a place of worship. One of the oldest theories states that Stonehenge was built as a place of worship.
2. It’s an ancient crystal ball.
3. It’s a place of healing.
4. It’s one giant instrument.
5. It’s just something two bored cavemen put together.

North East entrance

The Altar Stone is a recumbent central megalith at Stonehenge in England, dating to Stonehenge phase 3i, around 2600 BCE. It is identified as Stone 80 in scholarly articles.

In about 2500 BC the stones were set up in the centre of the monument. Two types of stone are used at Stonehenge – the larger sarsens and the smaller ‘bluestones’.

three metres