From stone circles and henges to long barrows and cairns, our distant ancestors left us tantalizing signs of their long-forgotten lives. From the tip of Cornwall to the far Scottish isles, a wonderful variety of ancient stone monuments present an enigmatic face to the world. Some sites, like Stonehenge and Newgrange, are often visited, whilst many, such as Fernworthy and Bleasedale are barely known at all.

Not only do we share Rupert Soskin’s experiences of visiting these magical places, but we also join him in his quest for answers to puzzling questions. What were such sites really for? Why did ancient people expend so much time and energy on creating these mysterious structures?