Stanton Drew Stone Circles

The Stanton Drew stone circles are just outside the village of Stanton Drew in the English county of Somerset [1]. The largest stone circle is the Great Circle, 113 metres in diameter and the second largest stone circle in Britain; it is considered to be one of the largest Neolithic monuments to have been built [1]. Some of the stones are still vertical, but the majority are now recumbent, and some are no longer present [1]. The stone circles have been studied since John Aubrey's visit in 1664, and some excavations of the site were performed in the 18th century [1]. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, geophysical surveys have confirmed the size of the stone circles and identified additional pits and postholes [1]. The North East Circle is 30 metres in diameter and probably consisted of 10 or more stones, of which 8 survive today [1]. The South West Circle is 43 metres in diameter, and has 12 stones surviving today [1].