News

Stonehenge altar stone came from Scotland, not Wales

Published

1 year ago

August 15, 2024

THE LARGEST “bluestone” at the heart of Stonehenge came from northern Scotland, not Wales, according to new research.

Published in the journal Nature, the study analysed the age and chemistry of minerals from fragments of the Altar Stone.

The findings show a remarkable similarity between the Old Red Sandstone of the Orcadian Basin in northeast Scotland and the Stonehenge Altar Stone.

Construction at Stonehenge began 5,000 years ago, with changes and additions over the next two millennia.

Although it is unclear when the Altar Stone arrived at Stonehenge, it may have been placed within the world-renowned central horseshoe of stones during the second construction phase at around 2620 – 2480 BC.

For the past hundred years, the iconic six-tonne Altar Stone at the heart of the ancient site was believed to have come from Wales.

The majority of Stonehenge’s world-renowned ‘bluestones’ came from the Preseli Hills area in west Wales and are believed to have been the first stones erected at the Wiltshire site.

The Altar Stone, a sandstone, has traditionally been grouped with these other, smaller, igneous bluestones.

However, the Altar Stone’s origins had remained an open question, until now.

According to the new research involving scientists at Aberystwyth University, UCL, Curtin University and the University of Adelaide, both the chemical composition and the ages of mineral grains in the sandstone indicate it is very likely to have come from northeast Scotland.

The scientists used their analysis of the ages of the mineral grains to create a ‘fingerprint’ of the source of those grains. They matched ages found in rocks of the Orcadian Basin found in the north-east of Scotland, and are completely different from Welsh-sourced stones.

Co-author Professor Richard Bevins from Aberystwyth University said:

“These findings are truly remarkable – they overturn what had been thought for the past century. We have succeeded in working out, if you like, the age and chemical fingerprints of perhaps one of the most famous of stones in the world-renowned ancient monument.

“It’s thrilling to know that our chemical analysis and dating work has finally unlocked this great mystery. We can now say that this iconic rock is Scottish and not Welsh. Although we can say that much, and confidently – the hunt will still very much be on to pin down where exactly in the north-east of Scotland the Altar Stone came from.”

The new discovery implies that one of the most famous stones in the world was moved much further than had been believed – at least 700 km (435 miles).

Anthony Clarke from the Timescales of Mineral Systems Group at Curtin University said:

“Considering the technological constraints of the Neolithic, our findings raise fascinating questions about how such massive stone was able to be transported over the vast distance implied. Given major overland barriers en route from north-east Scotland to Salisbury Plain, marine transport is one feasible option.”

Co-author Dr Robert Ixer of the UCL Institute of Archaeology said: “This is a genuinely shocking result, but if plate tectonics and atomic physics are correct, then the Altar Stone is Scottish. The work prompts two important questions: why and exactly how was the Altar Stone transported from the very north of Scotland, a distance of more than 700 kilometres, to Stonehenge?”

While the research does not provide direct evidence about how the Altar Stone got to its world-famous location in Wiltshire, the revelation that it travelled so far will raise questions about its journey given the limits of human technology during Neolithic times.

Professor Nick Pearce from Aberystwyth University added:

“This stone has travelled an awful long way – at least 700 km – and this is the longest recorded journey for any stone used in a monument at that period. The distance travelled is astonishing for the time. While the purpose of our new, empirical research was not to answer the question of how it got there, there are obvious physical barriers to transporting by land, but a daunting journey if going by sea. There’s no doubt that this Scottish source shows a high level of societal organisation in the British Isles during the period. These findings will have huge ramifications for understanding communities in Neolithic times, their levels of connectivity and their transport systems.

“Hopefully, people will now start to look at the Altar Stone in a slightly different context in terms of how and when it got to Stonehenge, and where it came from. I am sure this will lead to some new thinking about the development of Stonehenge and its links to the rest of Neolithic Britain.”

The new research builds on findings published by Aberystwyth University and UCL researchers last year in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports that cast doubt on the Altar Stone’s Welsh origins, and suggested that it should not be classified as a bluestone.

This study was supported by a Leverhulme Trust Emeritus Fellowship, Salisbury Museum and Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales and funded by an Australian Research Council Discovery Project. It was a collaboration between Aberystwyth University, Curtin University, the University of Adelaide, and UCL.

Crime

Hakin man’s appeal delayed again as Crown Court seeks guidance on insurance law

Published

6 minutes ago

February 3, 2026

Rieve Nesbitt-Marr

A HAKIN man’s long-running legal battle over road traffic convictions has been delayed again after a judge granted the Crown Prosecution Service more time to review the latest legal guidance on motor insurance law.

Seventy-six-year-old Niall Taylor, of Haven Drive, appeared at Swansea Crown Court on Tuesday (Jan 13) for a mention hearing in his appeal against conviction.

Taylor is challenging findings that he drove without a valid licence and without insurance.

The case has already followed an unusual procedural route. Taylor initially pleaded not guilty before changing his plea part-way through the original magistrates’ court trial. That later raised questions over whether the plea had been “equivocal”, prompting the court to reopen proceedings under Section 142 of the Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980.

A full rehearing was ordered, during which Taylor again entered not guilty pleas. Following a trial of the facts, magistrates found him guilty and sentenced him on Wednesday (Dec 3).

He has since lodged an appeal.

CPS given 28 days

During Tuesday’s hearing, His Honour Judge Walters granted counsel for the Crown Prosecution Service 28 days to review Wilkinson’s Road Traffic Offences (32nd Edition), the leading legal reference text used by courts and practitioners in road traffic cases.

The judge indicated that the legal position surrounding insurance cover may still require closer examination.

Addressing the court, Judge Walters said: “The court still might want to reconsider the sentence even if the insurance company is right. It does look as if different insurance companies do things in different ways.”

He added: “It is not in fact void, but it is voidable.”

Ongoing dispute

Taylor maintains that although there were administrative issues with his driving licence, a valid insurance policy was in force at the time and that, under retained European motor insurance law, third-party cover cannot simply be voided.

He argues that the matter amounts to a technical breach rather than deliberate offending.

Next hearing

The appeal is now scheduled to return to Swansea Crown Court on March 27, when further legal argument is expected.

Business

Pub rate relief welcomed but closures still feared

Published

18 minutes ago

February 3, 2026

Tom Sinclair

CAMRA warns one-year discount is only a sticking plaster as many Welsh locals face rising bills

A BUSINESS rates discount for Welsh pubs has been welcomed as a step in the right direction — but campaigners warn it will not be enough to stop more locals from shutting their doors.

The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) says the Welsh Government’s decision to offer a 15 per cent reduction on business rates bills for the coming year will provide short-term breathing space for struggling publicans.

However, it believes the move fails to tackle deeper problems in the rating system that continue to pile pressure on community pubs across Wales, including in Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire.

Chris Charters, Director of CAMRA Wales, said: “Today’s announcement from the Finance Secretary that pubs will get 15% discount on their business rates bills is a welcome step.

“However, many pubs still face big hikes in their bills due to the rates revaluation which could still lead to more of our locals in Wales being forced to close for good.

“15% off for a year is only the start of supporting pubs with business rates. It won’t fix the unfair business rates system our pubs are being crushed by.”

He added: “Welsh publicans need a permanent solution, or doors will continue to close and communities will be shut away from these essential social hubs that help tackle loneliness and isolation.”

Mounting pressure on locals

Under plans announced by the Welsh Government, pubs will receive a temporary discount on their rates bills for the next financial year.

But CAMRA argues that many premises are simultaneously facing sharp increases following the latest revaluation, which recalculates rateable values based on property size and trading potential.

For some smaller, rural venues, especially those already operating on tight margins, the increases could wipe out the benefit of the relief entirely.

Publicans say they are also contending with rising energy costs, higher wages, supplier price hikes and changing customer habits since the pandemic.

In west Wales, several long-standing village pubs have either reduced their opening hours or put their businesses on the market in the past year, with landlords warning that overheads are becoming unsustainable.

Community role

Campaigners stress that the issue goes beyond beer sales.

Pubs are often described as the last remaining social spaces in small communities — hosting charity events, sports teams, live music and local groups.

In parts of rural Pembrokeshire, a pub can be the only public meeting place left after the loss of shops, banks and post offices.

CAMRA says supermarkets and online retailers enjoy structural advantages that traditional pubs cannot match, making it harder for locals to compete on price.

The organisation is now calling on ministers to introduce a permanently lower business rates multiplier for pubs, rather than relying on short-term discounts.

Long-term reform call

CAMRA wants whoever forms the next Welsh administration to commit to fundamental reform of the rating system, arguing that pubs should be recognised as community assets rather than treated like large commercial premises.

Without change, it warns, the number of closures is likely to accelerate.

Charters said: “This is about protecting the future of our locals. Once a pub shuts, it rarely reopens. We can’t afford to lose any more.”

For many communities across west Wales, the fear is simple: temporary relief may buy time — but it may not be enough to save the local.

Local Government

Council tax rise options to be debated by Cabinet

Published

24 minutes ago

February 3, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Leader signals support for lower increase as schools set for £4.7m boost

PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL’S Cabinet will next week consider how much residents will be asked to pay in Council Tax as part of the authority’s 2026–27 budget setting process.

Members of Pembrokeshire County Council will meet on Monday (Feb 9) to examine two proposed options: a 4.6 per cent increase, equivalent to £1.46 per week for a Band D property, or a 7.5 per cent rise, equal to £2.38 per week.

Council leader Jon Harvey said the authority aimed to keep any rise as low as possible while protecting frontline services.

“In setting this year’s budget it’s our intention to ask the least possible from tax paying residents while still providing the vital services they rely upon,” he said.

He added that he expects Cabinet to favour the lower increase when it makes its recommendation to full council.

Mr Harvey said the lower option would still allow the authority to safeguard services and provide “significantly more money” for schools, with an additional £4.7 million earmarked for education.

He also highlighted the need for further investment in highways, building maintenance and street cleaning teams.

“We know these services are important to residents and so we intend to prioritise them,” he said.

The leader said the financial pressures created by the pandemic, rising costs and increasing demand for social care had led to unavoidable tax increases in recent years.

However, he added: “Going forward, I am very aware we cannot keep asking residents to pay significantly more and it is our intention to get back to Council Tax increases that are broadly in line with inflation.”

The Cabinet meeting starts at 10:00am and will be broadcast live via the council’s usual webcast platform.