The Ladies of Stone

Britain's Oldest Road

A friend and I recently cycled the Ridgeway，which follows a ridge of chalk hills from the small town of Streatley on the River Thames to the village of Avebury in Wiltshire.Unlike many countries in Eu rope，including Scotland，people are not allowed to walk wherever they like in the countryside of England and Wales.We can only use footpaths and so forth，which have been specially marked.The Ridgeway is thought of as Britain's oldest road，a great deal older than our many Roman roads.Although the Ridgeway passes through some of the most beautiful countryside in southern England，the thing I remember most about our trip was the stone circle in the middle of Avebury.

Rocky Neighbours

Avebury isn't far from the more famous Stonehenge.What is striking about it is that the village has grown up around the stones. Stonehenge，however，stands alone on a plain.Avebury's outer circle is the largest in Europe and there are two smaller ones inside.They are all surrounded by a henge，a circular ditch and a raised bank.The village first began in mediaeval times；from then on，people used many of the stones for buildings，or destroyed them because of their religious beliefs.Now it's cared for by the National Trust.

Are Avebury and Stonehenge the Only Ones？

Avebury and Stonehenge are just two of about l，300 stone circles scattered all over the UK.Many of them are in fantastic locations，like Castlerigg in Cumbria，from which you can see England's highest mountains；and the Ring of Brogdar in the beautiful Orkney lSlands off Scotland's northern coast.

Stone Circles Through History

Some of them are UNESCO World Heritage sites，and several have local stories associated with them.For example，the Merry Maidens in West Cornwall are a group of nineteen stones.According to legend they were originally young women-maidens-who were turned into stone for dancing on a Sunday.This story could reflect the conflict between Christianity and the earlier pagan religions of the UK in the fourth and fifth centuries AD.

Are They All Protected？

Sadly，not everyone respects these ancient monuments.The Nine Ladies of Stanton Moor were among the 28 named in the first Ancient Monuments Protection Law，1882；but in 1999，a company asked for permission to open a stone quarry only 200m from them.That would mean an enormous area full of explosions，lorries and other heavy work going on extremely close to them.lt's hard to imagine the stones would continue standing for long.In 2009，however，protestors succeeded in their battle against it and the quarry was stopped from opening.

When？

Eariy archaeologists thought that the stone circles were temples for the Druids，the priests of the Celtic tribes who arrived in the UK about 500 BC.Later investigations have shown that they are far older than that，however，at least 4，000 years old.Stonehenge could have been built 5，000 years ago， but it's still nowhere near as old as the monument which stood nearby about 10，000 years ago.It was built of wood，and might have Iooked similar to Stonehenge itself.ltS only remains-holes where the wood once stood-are now under the public car park.

Are Avebury and Stonehenge Alone？

At around the same time as Stonehenge and Avebury two avenues linking them together were built，as well as other wooden and stone circles.There is also evidence suggesting that huge fires were built on hills which could be seen from both sites.

Why？

Some experls believe stone circles acted like solar calendars and have shown that some stones line up with sunrise or sunset on the summer and winter solstices.lt's been suggested that a wooden circle in nearby Durrington Walls，which was constructed at almost the same time as Stonehenge，represented a land of the living， while Stonehenge was the land of the dead.Others believe that stone circles were simply funeral sites of the local rich and powerful.

Can I See One？

We may never know their original purpose，but each one leaves the visitor with a powerful sense of the brevity of our existence in the vast sea of history.There are groups of stone circles and other prehistoric monuments throughout the British lsles.so wherever you are staying，you should definitely visit at least one.

Useful Link

Find out more and see some stunning photographs at www stone-circles，org，uk

Activity 1

Put the words in the correct gaps.

1. striking

2. pagan

3. scatter

4. temple

5. archaeologist

6. solstice

7. chalk

8. ridge

9. plain

10. ditch

a.______s are people who dig up historic places so they can study them.

b.After the summer______the days get shorter.

c.The Parthenon is the most magnificent____built by the Ancient Greeks.

d.Early farmers knew they had to dig____es to drain water from their fields.

e.The quality of work is one of the most____things about Stonehenge.

f.There are a few trees____ed around the village.

g.Before Christianity，the Greeks and Romans were____s.

h.The____formed by those hills looks like the back of a dinosaur.

i.People used____to make huge white pictures on hillsides.Now teachers use it to write on blackboards.

j.lt's easier to farm on____s than mountains.

Activity 2

Find the answers to these questions in the text.

1.According to the writer，why are England and Wales different to many other European countries including Scotland？

2.Give two reasons why the stone circle at Avebury is unusual.

3.What can you see from Castlerigg in Cumbria？

4.What crime did the Merry Maidens commit？

5.In what year were ancient monuments first protected in the UK？

6.Have archaeologists always agreed on the circles'original purpose？

7.What was built in Durrington Walls at the same time as Stonehenge？

8.Is each stone circle usually the only orle in its area？

Activity 3

Rewrite these comparative sentences using the words in brackets.

The monument which stood near Stonehenge was built 10，000 years ago.Stonehenge could have been built 5，000 years ago. （nowhere near as）

Stonehenge could have been built 5， 000 years ago，but it's nowhere near as old as the monument which stood nearby about 10，000 years ago.

l.The Ridgeway is a great deal older than our Roman roads.（not nearly as…as）

2.Avebury is the largest stone circle in Europe.（not any，as…as…）

3.Stonehenge is far more famous than the Ring of Brogdar.（less）

4.Stonehenge is a lot bigger than the Nine Ladies.（a great deal small）

5.The other stone circles are not as famous as Stonehenge.（far more）

6.The wooden monument looked very similar to Stonehenge.（almost，as）

7.Stonehenge was built at a similar time to Avebury.（more or less，as）

8.The stone circles are far older than we thought.（not as…as…）

Activity 4

What amazing historic buildings and monuments are there in your country or area？

What condition are they in？

Why is it a good or bad thing that Avebury village has grown up around its stone circle？

What similar things have happened to the historic monuments and buildings in your area？

What can be done to look after those things for the future？