Stone circles, rock art and prehistoric villages - the British Isles are full of little-known megalithic sites that offer a fascinating window into our ancient past
Derbyshire: Arbor Low is situated amid rolling farmlands and is not among the largest of British henges. But its smaller size somehow makes its form easier to appreciatePhotograph: Rupert Soskin/PRAnglesey, Wales: The enchanting and mysterious site of Barclodiad y Gawres overlooking Caenarfon Bay looks like a World War II bunker from the outside, but this makes it all the more surprising to find what lies beneath. Bold, abstract carvings adorn the imposing stone which stands like a guardian inside the entrance to the burial chamberPhotograph: Rupert Soskin/PRThe Hebrides, Scotland: Callanish is testament to our ancestors' vast knowledge of astronomy. Standing on the Hebridean Isle of Lewis overlooking the chill waters of Loch Roag, the cruciform arrangement of megaliths has a stone circle at its axis, all aligned to view the heavensPhotograph: Rupert Soskin/PRCumbria: Castlerigg is one of the oldest of our stone circles, built over 5,000 years ago. It is spectacularly placed. Surrounded by mountains, the feeling is that the entire landscape is part of the site. like a huge natural cathedral. It is likely that this was once a centre for axe-trading, a sort of prehistoric market placePhotograph: Rupert Soskin/PROrkney, Scotland: On Mainland, Orkney, at the prehistoric village of Skara Brae, the people are almost tangible and for once, everything seems so familiar. The houses seem impossibly modern. Five thousand years old but with recessed shelving, dressers and, most extraordinary of all, a drainage systemPhotograph: Rupert SoskinCornwall: The huge dolmen of Trethevy Quoit stands by the road close to modern houses and shows an aspect of prehistory that is often overlooked: we still live in the settlements chosen by our ancestorsPhotograph: Rupert Soskin/PRGwynedd, North Wales: High on a hill near Llandrillo, the cairn-circle of Moel ty Uchaf is the perfect place to relax and watch the sun set behind the distant hillsPhotograph: Rupert SoskinCo Meath, Ireland: The remarkable group of mounds and passage tombs at Knowth in Boyne Valley are home to over a quarter of all the rock art in Europe. From simple spirals to carvings which look like diagramsPhotograph: Rupert SoskinLiverpool: Six thousand years ago these sands at Formby Point were baked hard in the sun, capturing a wealth of footprints and animal tracks. It's an amazing feeling to actually walk in the same footsteps as one of our distant ancestors, following his path towards the sea and backPhotograph: Rupert SoskinDevon: Hidden in the southern part of the plantation forest which skirts Fernworthy Reservoir on Dartmoor, the stone row at Assycombe has an almost 'Lord of the Rings' feel to itPhotograph: Rupert Soskin
