Monuments and Mountains Stone Circles, Henges and Standing Stones in the Landscape

The product of thirty years' research, this book offers new perspectives on the siting, design and raisons d'être of these monuments.

SITE LOCATION
The central theme: these structures were care-fully placed in relation to commanding hilltops. For instance, notable landmarks lie nearly south-east, virtually south and due west of the Rollright Stones. The links between landscape features, such as rivers and watersheds, the demarcation of boundaries, and the general location of rings, rows and monoliths are examined. The monuments were also sited in relation to existing similar structures; as often as not, enclosures form alignments or stand in major directions from each other. A catalogue provides the topographical and inter-site relationships of over 1,600 monuments.

THE DESIGN OF STONE RINGS AND HENGES
Structural and axial features indicating cardinal positions and the direction of hilltops. The use of pacing, decimal numeration, and spatial and numerical correspondences (e.g., not infrequently, the number of encircling stones is related to the number of paces used to set out the ring).

STONEHENGE
Some of the highest points in southern Britain lie in significant directions. A detailed examination of component parts (e.g., why there are 56 Aubrey Holes) and mathematical correspondences. Topographical considerations suggest new explanations for the orientation of the axis, the Station Stones figure and the attraction of the bluestones.

REGIONAL SURVEYS
Two-thirds of the book is devoted to surveys of the most important and interesting monuments and their topographical and mutual relationships.