Interview with Dr Ben Gearey about the discovery of a new 'henge' close to Stonehenge

A Bradford archaeologist and his brother have helped discover the hidden “twin” of Stonehenge.

A project studying the land around the ancient monument is being carried out by experts from several countries, including Dr Chris Gaffney, of the University of Bradford. Dr Chris Gaffney has been working with his brother Professor Vince Gaffney, from the University of Birmingham.

Dr Gaffney, said: “The strategy we are implementing has provided a first glimpse of new and important information regarding the hidden past at Stonehenge. We aim to cover large areas around Stonehenge and we expect this to be the first of many significant discoveries.

“The remains of the previously- unknown ceremonial monument were discovered a few hundred yards away from the famous stone circle. The second henge is a circular ditch thought to have held a free-standing wooden structure.

Professor Vince Gaffney said: “People have tended to think that as Stonehenge reached its peak it was the paramount monument, existing in splendid isolation. The new henge-like late-Neolithic structure would have stood within sight of Stonehenge and appears to have been built on the same orientation as the world-renowned monument.

“It comprises a segmented ditch with entrances to the north-east and south-west, which are associated with internal pits up to three feet in diameter.

“To put this in context, we haven’t found a major ceremonial site of this type, or of this significance, for probably 50 years or more within the area of Stonehenge. It fills in another gap in the landscape.”