Author and photographer Rupert Soskin is no stranger to stone circles. He visited and recorded more than 100 of them for his latest book, Standing With Stones. In this article, written specially for Heritage-Key.com, he argues that there is a whole megalithic world out there just waiting to be experienced.
Ask anyone to name a megalithic site and it's fairly certain that the first name to anyone's lips will be Stonehenge. Any visitor to this jewel of the Salisbury Plain will most likely have shared their time with vast numbers of tourists. Coaches, buses and hundreds of cars filled with curious people flock to the site, making it almost impossible to experience its grandeur with uncluttered views. This is all the more extraordinary when one considers that Britain is home to many thousands of megalithic sites, most of which remain deserted.
The Festival of British Archaeology (formerly known as National Archaeology Week) takes place across the United Kingdom over the course of a fortnight at more than 560 venues – all from Geevor Tin Mine in Cornwall, England to the National Museum of Cardiff in Wales, the site of the Battle of Yellow Ford in County Antrim, Northern Ireland and Old Scatness Broch in Shetland, Scotland. It's a great chance to learn about Britain's heritage, get involved and see and experience archaeological practices first hand.
Participants are invited to visit real excavation sites and try some techniques used by archaeologists themselves, enjoy guided tours of museums housing precious artefacts from throughout the ages, watch special reenactments of historical events and battles, take in talks and lectures, experience family fun days and go on walks led by heritage experts to sites of historical significance. Download the Festival of British Archaeology event listings here and find out what's on near you.
Author and photographer Rupert Soskin is no stranger to stone circles. He visited and recorded more than 100 of them for his latest book, 
