Education
Stonehenge may have been built to unify the people of ancient Britain
THE RECENT discovery that one of Stonehenge’s stones originated in Scotland supports a theory that the stone circle was built as a monument to unite Britain’s early farmers nearly 5,000 years ago, according to a new study by researchers at UCL and Aberystwyth University.
In a research article published in the journal Archaeology International, academics analyse the significance of the recent discovery of the Scottish origin of the six-tonne Altar Stone, which confirmed that all of the stones that make up Stonehenge were brought to Salisbury Plain from many miles away.
In their new paper, the researchers say that Stonehenge’s long-distance links add weight to the theory that the Neolithic monument may have had some unifying purpose in ancient Britain.
Lead author Professor Mike Parker Pearson from the UCL Institute of Archaeology said: “The fact that all of its stones originated from distant regions, making it unique among over 900 stone circles in Britain, suggests that the stone circle may have had a political as well as a religious purpose – as a monument of unification for the peoples of Britain, celebrating their eternal links with their ancestors and the cosmos.”
Co-author Professor Richard Bevins of Aberystwyth University, said: “It’s really gratifying that our geological investigations can contribute to the archaeological research and the unfolding story as our knowledge has been improving so dramatically in just the last few years.
“Our research is like forensic science. We are a small team of earth scientists, each bringing their own area of expertise; it is this combination of skills that has allowed us to identify the sources of the bluestones, and now the Altar Stone.”
The study has been published (on 20 December) the day before the winter solstice, when the setting sun dips below the horizon over the middle of the Altar Stone and between the two largest upright stones (one of which is now fallen). During this winter period, Neolithic people feasted close to Stonehenge at the great village of Durrington Walls, and the midwinter solstice was probably central to these events.
Stonehenge is famous for these solar alignments on the solstice and even today attracts large crowds to the site on the shortest and longest days of the year. In addition, it was also the largest burial ground of its age. Some archaeologists think it might have been a religious temple, an ancient observatory and a solar calendar, and this new research adds a political dimension.
Professor Parker Pearson, a Professor of British Later Prehistory, added: “We’ve known for a while that people came from many different parts of Britain with their pigs and cattle to feast at Durrington Walls, and nearly half the people buried at Stonehenge had lived somewhere other than Salisbury Plain.
“The similarities in architecture and material culture between the Stonehenge area and northern Scotland now make more sense. It’s helped to solve the puzzle of why these distant places had more in common than we might have once thought.”
Stonehenge’s 43 ‘bluestones’ were brought from the Preseli Hills in west Wales some 140 miles away, while the larger ‘Sarsen’ stones were hauled from their sources at least 15 miles away to the north and east of the stone circle.
Transporting these massive monoliths was an extraordinary feat. Although the wheel had been invented, it had not yet reached Britain so moving these massive stones must have required the efforts of hundreds if not thousands of people.
The researchers point to how Stonehenge’s horizontal Altar Stone is similar in size and placement to the large, horizontal stones of the stone circles of northeast Scotland, where the Altar Stone originated.
These ‘recumbent stone circles’ are found only in that part of Scotland and not in the rest of Britain, so there may have been close ties between the two regions. Megalithic stones had ancestral significance, binding people to place and origins. The Altar Stone may have been brought as a gift from the people of northern Scotland to represent some form of alliance or collaboration.
It is difficult to pin down a precise date when the Scottish Altar Stone was brought to Stonehenge, but it probably arrived around 2500 BCE around the time that Stonehenge was remodelled from its original form.
This is the timeframe when the Neolithic builders erected the large sarsen stones forming an outer circle and the inner horseshoe of trilithons – paired upright stones connected by horizontal ‘lintels’ – that is present today. The Altar Stone lies at the foot of the largest trilithon, which frames the midwinter solstice sunset to the southwest. This was the second stage of construction at Stonehenge, long after the first stage (around 3000 BCE) when it is thought the bluestones from Wales were erected.
This second iteration of Stonehenge was built at a time of increasing contact between the people of Britain and arrivals from Europe, mainly from what are today the Netherlands and Germany. The researchers suggest that this period of contact may have been what spurred this second-stage rebuilding, and the monument was a reaction to these newcomers meant to unite indigenous Britons.
The new arrivals brought with them knowledge of metalworking and the wheel and, over the next four hundred years, their descendants – known as the Beaker people on account of the distinctive pots they buried with their dead – gradually replaced the population of indigenous Britons, and people with this European ancestry became the dominant population across the island.
The geological research was supported by the Leverhulme Trust.
Ends
Picture: The Altar Stone, seen here underneath two bigger Sarsen stones. Credit: Professor Nick Pearce, Aberystwyth University.
STAFF, volunteers and visiting pupils at Lower Treginnis Farm were delighted to welcome a very special guest on Wednesday (April 2), as Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal visited the site in support of the charity Farms for City Children.
The Princess Royal, who has served as Patron of the charity since 1991, spent the afternoon touring the farm, which lies just outside St Davids and is the most westerly farm in Wales. It was her fourth visit to the site since first attending in 2010.
Farms for City Children was founded by author and former Children’s Laureate Sir Michael Morpurgo and Lady Clare Morpurgo. The charity provides immersive week-long farming experiences for urban children, helping them connect with nature, food production and rural life.
During the visit, The Princess Royal met children from Pembroke Dock Community School as they took part in hands-on farm activities including grooming donkeys, feeding rare-breed piglets, and planting vegetables in the market garden.
She also joined the children for a coastal workshop led by Câr y Môr, Wales’ first regenerative seaweed and shellfish farm, which operates just off the nearby shoreline.
Her Royal Highness was accompanied on her tour by Gethin Jones, Farm School Manager, and later met members of The Friends of Treginnis—a local fundraising group that has supported the charity since 1991. Over the past three years, the group has raised more than £30,000 to help schools from across Pembrokeshire, including Pembroke Dock Community School, take part in the farm’s week-long programmes.
Before departing, The Princess Royal was introduced to members of the charity’s staff and to Aled Davies, the farm’s local partner farmer. She was then presented with a gift of fresh farm produce by two pupils, Erin Hubbard and Jack Kinnard.
Tim Rose, Head of Operations for Farms for City Children, said: “We were delighted to welcome The Princess Royal to Lower Treginnis and to share the experience of being ‘farmers for a week’ with her. Her visit was greatly enjoyed by everyone at the farm and it was our pleasure to be able to show her how the work of the charity interacts with so many different aspects of the Pembrokeshire community.
“We are hugely appreciative of Her Royal Highness’s continued support and enthusiasm for the work that we do.”
Quarter of UK training squad from Welsh colleges
STUDENTS and apprentices from colleges across Wales are competing for a place on Team UK at the WorldSkills competition in Shanghai next year – often referred to as the ‘skills Olympics’.
Of the 80 young people selected by WorldSkills UK and Pearson to take part in the 18-month training programme, 20 are from Wales – making up around a quarter of the team.
WorldSkills is considered the ultimate global test of vocational and technical excellence, and the 2026 event in Shanghai will be the first time China has hosted the prestigious contest. Over 1,500 competitors from more than 80 countries are expected to take part, showcasing skills in disciplines ranging from engineering and digital technologies to hospitality and the creative industries. The event will be watched by more than 250,000 spectators.
The UK will compete in over 30 disciplines, including 3D Digital Game Art, Robot Systems Integration, and Renewable Energy.
One of those selected for the UK’s training squad is Madeleine Warburton, 19, a student at Coleg Llandrillo’s Rhyl Campus. Madeleine won silver in Renewable Energy at the UK national finals in 2024.
She said: “I wanted to expand my knowledge within the renewable sector outside of college and work – to help improve my skills for when I go on site, learn more about solar, and meet like-minded people.
“I would definitely encourage anyone to compete. No matter how far you get in the process, it’s a huge benefit. I’ve learnt so much and developed transferable skills. My confidence has grown massively, and I’ve made friends for life.”
Minister for Skills, Jack Sargeant, said: “We have so much to look forward to in skills competitions in Wales. Between hosting the WorldSkills UK Finals in November and seeing this strong cohort working towards Shanghai, our economic future is in good hands.
“With 20 Welsh competitors in the mix, Wales is showing once again that a small nation can make a big impact. This is a long process – but I wish ‘pob lwc’ to everyone aiming for final selection.”
Thousands still eligible before application window closes on 31 May
FAMILIES across Wales are being urged to apply for the School Essentials Grant before the deadline on Saturday, 31 May, 2025, with up to £200 available per child to help cover the rising costs of school-related expenses.
The Welsh Government’s grant offers £125 for each eligible learner and £200 for those entering Year 7, acknowledging the higher costs associated with starting secondary school.
Uniforms, coats, shoes, stationery, sports kits, musical instruments, and equipment for after-school clubs are among the many essentials the grant can help pay for.
Currently, 90% of those eligible have already applied – but thousands of families across Wales could still be missing out on vital financial support.
What is the School Essentials Grant?
The grant is part of a wider support package for low-income families, children in care, and those seeking asylum. It is available to all eligible learners aged 4 to 16 in any school setting, including special schools and pupil referral units.
To qualify, parents must receive one or more of the following benefits:
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- Guaranteed element of Pension Credit
- Child Tax Credit (with no Working Tax Credit, and annual income under £16,190 before tax)
- Working Tax Credit run-on (for four weeks after stopping qualifying)
- Universal Credit (with annual net earned income under £7,400, excluding benefits)
Even if a child already receives Free School Meals, families must still check their eligibility separately to access the School Essentials Grant.
Beth Williams, a teacher at Maesyrhandir CP School in Newtown, said: “The School Essentials Grant is a massive help to parents. We all know how hard it is, especially if you’ve got more than one child, to buy all the things that they need, and it all comes at once.”
Support for schools too
As well as the direct financial support to families, schools also benefit from the Pupil Development Grant (PDG), which helps reduce barriers to learning by providing additional resources.
Caroline Bufton, Headteacher at Maesyrhandir CP School, explained: “It’s very important for parents to check their eligibility because this allows us to have funding which is vital to supporting their children.”
How to apply
Applications must be made through the local authority, and families can apply every year for each eligible child. The current application window closes on Saturday, 31 May, 2025.
Eligible families will receive:
- £125 per child in primary or secondary school
- £200 per child entering Year 7
To check eligibility and apply, visit: gov.wales/get-help-school-costs
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