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Has the mystery of how Preseli rock got stonehenge finally been solved?

Published

2 years ago

June 17, 2024

‘Lost’ Boulder Proves the Bluestones Were Transported from Wales by Glacier Ice – and NOT by Humans, Study Claims

A NEW study of the ‘lost’ Newall Boulder suggests it was transported by ice, potentially overturning the theory that humans moved the stones for Stonehenge.

How Neolithic humans might have transported so many huge boulders from Wales to Stonehenge is one of archaeology’s most enduring mysteries. However, a new study of a ‘lost’ boulder taken from the Stonehenge site over 90 years ago suggests that humans might not have moved the stones at all.

Dr Brian John, a retired geology lecturer from Durham University who lives in Pembrokeshire, argues that this bluestone boulder bears marks which suggest it was moved by glacial ice. This would undermine the common theory that the bluestone was quarried in the Preseli Hills of southwest Wales and manually transported to the Salisbury Plain.

***Natural transport: Could movement of ice pushed the stones to Mendip?***

Dr John said: “I think it’s hugely significant because it supports the assumption I’ve had for some years that these are not humanly-transported.”

In addition to the tall Sarsen stones that make up Stonehenge’s distinctive appearance, the site is also home to around 80 smaller bluestones. It is generally agreed that these stones originate from the Preseli Hills of south-west Wales, but how they got to Stonehenge is often debated.

Dr John’s argument centres on an analysis of a bluestone boulder about the size of a human skull, known as the Newall boulder. This boulder was first excavated in 1924 by the geologists Colonel Hawley and Robert Newall. Hawley originally thought the rock was just a piece of rubbish and wanted to throw it away rather than analyse it. However, Newall saved the stone from the rubbish heap and placed it in a cardboard box in his attic alongside a number of other finds from the site.

***New theory: Dr John (Pic: Martin Cavaney)***

The boulder remained there until Newall passed it over to the Salisbury Museum shortly before he died in 1976. There was a brief burst of interest in the boulder around 1977, but then it was placed back into storage and effectively forgotten for another 46 years.

However, in 2022, Dr John found a reference to the boulder and asked the Museum Director, Adrian Green, if it was still in storage. On discovering that it was, he was given permission to examine it and undertake a careful examination of its surface features.

Through a detailed analysis of the boulder’s surface, Dr John identified a series of marks that suggest glacial, rather than human transport. “Glacially transported boulders tend to have facets,” Dr John explains. “That means they’ve got a number of different faces at angles to one another which actually indicated where a boulder has been abraded or, basically, sanded down.”

**Is current theory wrong?: Volunteers pull bluestone from Pembrokeshire to Stonehenge (Image: Martin Cavaney)**

As boulders move with a glacier, they get flipped over from side to side, creating several different flat faces with rounded edges, just like the Newall boulder. In addition, the boulder bears a series of scratches and small fractures, called striations and chatter marks, which are often caused by glacial transport.

And although the Newall Boulder isn’t exactly the same type of rock as the other bluestones, Dr John says this is exactly what his theory would predict. He says: “It’s often claimed in popular articles that the bluestones are all made of spotted dolerite which is this type of igneous rock we get on the Preseli Hills but they’re actually about 30 different rock types. That enormous range of rock types is absolutely typical of the way that ice travels across the terrain and picks up boulders from here there and everywhere.”

Dr John suggests that this provides convincing evidence that the Newall boulder and all of the smaller bluestone boulders at Stonehenge were moved by glacier. His claims land him squarely at the centre of one of Stonehenge’s most contentious debates. The idea that the stones were transported to Salisbury Plain began with the geologist Herbert Henry Thomas in 1923. Although Thomas was quite spectacularly wrong about almost everything, the human transport theory is still extremely popular.

A team of researchers led by Professor Mike Parker Pearson of UCL have been some of the most active proponents of this theory, arguing that the stones were moved over land. Recently, Professor Pearson and his team even claimed to have discovered evidence which identifies the quarry of the Stonehenge bluestone, dating this to 3000 BC.

***Previously, two curraghs were readied to see if Bluestones could be floated to Stonehenge (Image Martin Cavaney)***

However, Dr John now says his discovery should “open up the debate” for a consideration of other theories. He says: “Herbert Thomas thought that because glacial transport was impossible they must have been carried by human beings. That’s now part of our national myth because people have not seriously questioned it before; it’s just been accepted as the truth.”

Instead of the orderly and rather deliberate building project we sometimes imagine Stonehenge to be, Dr John says: “I think it’s always been a bit of a shambles.” He argues that the Neolithic builders simply used the stones they had in their immediate vicinity, rearranging and moving the smaller bluestones as needed. And, when they eventually had to travel too far to gather more stones, the project was simply abandoned in the state we now find it. “It was a Neolithic cost-benefit analysis that eventually the costs of getting the stones were greater than the benefits that were coming from it,” he says.

However, the ultimate test for his theory would be cosmogenic dating – a test to determine how long rocks have been exposed to the surface by measuring their exposure to cosmic rays. If Dr John is right, the deeply weathered surface of the rocks should have been exposed to the elements for hundreds of thousands of years. Alternatively, if the stones were quarried they should only have been exposed to cosmic radiation for around 3,000 to 5,000 years.

While the debate over the origin of the stones is still very much alive, Dr John believes the evidence of weathering will remain strong. He concludes: “I’m very confident that if one or other university can get its act together and actually get this done these stones will be seen to have been subject to cosmogenic bombardment from the atmosphere for possibly hundreds of thousands of years. That would knock the quarrying idea on its head once and for all.”

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Sir Karl Jenkins named Eisteddfod President for 2026

Published

55 minutes ago

June 20, 2026

Tom Sinclair

SIR KARL JENKINS has been named President of the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod for 2026.

The internationally acclaimed Welsh composer, one of the world’s most performed living composers, will take on the role as the festival prepares to welcome performers, competitors and visitors from across the globe.

Sir Karl is best known for works including The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace, Adiemus and Requiem.

His appointment comes in a landmark year after The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace was voted the most popular work in the Classic FM Hall of Fame 2026.

Opening night return

Sir Karl’s presidential year will begin with the opening night concert, Uniting Nations: One World, on Tuesday, July 7.

The concert had been due to take place in 2025 but was postponed, causing disappointment for volunteers, performers and audience members who had travelled from across the UK and overseas.

The Eisteddfod has now brought the event back with support from the Arts Council of Wales.

Sir Karl said: “I’m delighted to be returning to the Llangollen Festival this year and especially honoured to do so in the role of President.

“Llangollen is always a very special place to be, with its unique sense of community and international spirit.

“I’m greatly looking forward to conducting my most recent choral work, One World, particularly following the postponement of last year’s performance.

“It’s a piece that I feel reflects the very essence of the festival, bringing together outstanding musicians from across the globe to form one powerful collective voice.”

Global chorus

The evening will feature a full performance of One World, conducted by Sir Karl and performed by an international massed chorus made up of WorldChoir and NEW Voices, accompanied by the Llangollen International Orchestra.

The work blends Jenkins’ distinctive musical style with themes of humanity, compassion and environmental stewardship.

The concert will also include a complete staging of Peace Child: The Musical, which places young people at the heart of its message of peace and global citizenship.

Opening the evening will be the world premiere of Greeting the Dawn, a newly commissioned bilingual work by emerging Welsh composer Sam Buttler.

The piece was written for the 2026 Eisteddfod through the Harmony Without Borders initiative, continuing Llangollen’s tradition of supporting new talent and giving Welsh composers an international platform.

‘Great cultural ambassador’

John Gambles, Chair of the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, said: “We are absolutely delighted that Sir Karl Jenkins has agreed to serve as President of the Eisteddfod for 2026.

“Few musicians have done more to promote the values of peace, friendship and international understanding that lie at the heart of our festival.

“Sir Karl is one of Wales’s greatest cultural ambassadors and his music has inspired audiences across every continent.

“The fact that The Armed Man has just been voted the nation’s favourite classical work is a testament not only to his extraordinary talent, but also to the universal appeal of the messages of peace, hope and humanity that run through so much of his music.”

Mr Gambles added: “The postponement of One World last year was heartbreaking for everyone involved.

“We knew how much the concert meant to audiences, performers and volunteers alike, and we were determined to find a way to bring it back.

“Thanks to the support of the Arts Council of Wales, we can now finally give this extraordinary concert the audience it deserves.

“With Sir Karl as our President, the return of One World, the world premiere of a major new Welsh composition and the powerful message of Peace Child, this promises to be one of the most memorable and significant opening nights in the Eisteddfod’s history.”

Festival programme

The Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod returns for its 79th year on Tuesday, July 7.

This year’s programme includes performances from Michael Ball, Emeli Sandé with the Absolute Orchestra, Uniting Nations: One World featuring Sir Karl Jenkins, and the Choir of the World competition.

Thousands of competitors from around the world will also take part in the daytime programme, with the Parade of Nations returning on Friday, July 10.

Tickets are on sale now, with prices starting from £33.

Further information is available at llangollen.net.

Community

Lord Rhys emerges from the mist in St Davids

Published

3 hours ago

June 20, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Giant puppet begins historic journey marking 850 years since the first Eisteddfod

MIST swirled around St Davids Cathedral on Friday evening as a giant Lord Rhys puppet emerged from the fog to begin a journey celebrating 850 years since the first recorded Eisteddfod.

Accompanied by traditional musicians and followed by crowds of spectators, the towering figure cut an imposing sight against the backdrop of the ancient cathedral.

The procession marked the start of Taith yr Arglwydd Rhys (The Journey of Lord Rhys), a cultural pilgrimage retracing the legacy of the Welsh prince whose gathering of poets and musicians at Cardigan Castle in 1176 is widely regarded as the first recorded Eisteddfod.

As fog drifted across the city and church towers faded into the background, the scene felt more like a chapter from Welsh folklore than a modern-day celebration.

The giant puppet, accompanied by fellow performers and musicians, travelled from St Davids Cathedral to Oriel y Parc before beginning a wider journey through west Wales.

The travelling celebration will visit communities across Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion before culminating in Cardigan, where Lord Rhys originally staged his famous cultural gathering eight and a half centuries ago.

Video and photographs shared by DrifterStDavids captured the remarkable atmosphere, with many describing the spectacle as one of the most memorable cultural events seen in St Davids for years.

Photo caption: Lord Rhys emerges from the mist outside St Davids Cathedral as celebrations begin to mark the 850th anniversary of the first recorded Eisteddfod

(Pic: SmallWorld – Video: Drifter St Davids)

Community

Cabinet to review recent decision on crematorium services at special meeting

Published

11 hours ago

June 20, 2026

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A RECENT decision by senior Pembrokeshire councillors on a review in the way crematorium services in the county will be delivered is to be revisited following a ‘call-in’ by members of the Conservative group.

At a special meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council’s Cabinet to be held on June 22, members will consider a May Cabinet decision on crematorium services in the county.

A report for members says at the March meeting of the council’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee it was resolved to recommend that Cabinet undertake a review of fees and charges at Parc Gwyn Crematorium, with particular regard to the cost of direct cremation, and that Cabinet commission a comprehensive review of the crematorium’s future operational model, with the findings to be reported to the committee for consideration and scrutiny prior to any final Cabinet decision.

At the May meeting of Cabinet, members agreed to review fees and charges at Parc Gwyn along with a review of service delivery, efficiency and value for money, excluding alternative operating models, the report says.

An extraordinary meeting of Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee was held in response to a call-in from 11 councillors, all member of the council’s Conservative group, saying the Cabinet report materially altered the original scrutiny recommendation, the decision was not supported by sufficient evidence or benchmarking, financial considerations relating to “surplus” and “profit” were improperly weighted, alternative operational models were prematurely excluded, and that further scrutiny is required.

That committee agreed the matter be referred back to Cabinet for reconsideration.

The report for Cabinet members says: “Members who requested the call-in were dissatisfied with the way the issue was presented to Cabinet in regards to the second recommendation, which although was presented in full in the Cabinet paper, the officer recommendation removed the element relating to the review of the operating model.

“Members queried if Cabinet were given a fair opportunity to consider the merits of a full operational review. It was suggested that the officer report led Cabinet towards their conclusion by recommending against the operating model review.

“Whilst referral was made to the call-in not being in relation to privatisation, members in the previous services overview and scrutiny committee meeting had discussed this as a potential future option which resulted in the recommendation to review the operating model.”

The report says there “are well-established and unavoidable cost factors associated with any change in delivery model,” adding: “Should Cabinet now agree to include this aspect of the recommendation, Members should be aware that this will require the commissioning of an external consultant to carry out the review, expected to cost an estimated £30,000, financed from existing crematorium reserves.”

Members are recommended to review the previous decision.