Attracting almost 900,000 visitors each year, Stonehenge is perhaps the best known English monument. While no one knows its original purpose, there has been speculation that it could once have been used as a temple, a burial site or even a huge calendar. Archaeologists have long been puzzled as to how the stones used in its construction were transported to the site or how they could have been placed using only the primitive tools of the time.
Located near Salisbury, Old Sarum dates back almost 5,000 years. First occupied during the Neolithic age, the site was later protected by the Roman legions that occupied England from about 60 A.D. When the Romans finally left the island, the invading Saxons took over the area and made Sarum the center of a royal estate. After the Norman Conquest in 1066, the site was heavily fortified and a castle was built. This castle became the home of William the Conqueror and the seat of Norman government. Later a cathedral was built on the outskirts of the castle. Since the area was the site of many storms, the bishops later abandoned the site, moving into nearby Salisbury. Henry VIII tore down the castle in 1519.
Hartlepool, located on the northeast coast of England, has had a varied history. Originally settled by prehistoric people, the site was taken over by the Romans during their stay on the island. An Anglo-Saxon monastery was built on the site in the 600s with a cathedral to follow, and during the Middle Ages the town became a major port. A submerged forest off the coast also has garnered attention.
Although only the foundations of an early settlement can be seen, Carn Euny Village, located in west Cornwall, was first settled during the Iron Age. Although few traces of this village can be found today, a cave and drainage holes from this period can still be seen. The area was later occupied by the Romans before being abandoned in the 4th century.
