Get prehistoric at the Longstone

It’s not Stonehenge but it is a great spot for a walk, with an interesting endpoint and some lovely views. In the spring there are bluebells aplenty on the nearby downs, and at any time of the year you’ll enjoy vistas out over the back of the Wight as you walk up.

The Longstone is the only megalithic monument on the Isle of Wight. The Longstone consists of two pieces of local greensand sandstone probably from a vein 100 metres (330 ft) away. The stones are what remains of a 6,000-year-old Neolithic communal long barrow for burying the dead; a narrow mound 21 metres (69 ft) long, which runs from the stones to the west.

In September 1956, excavations by C.N. Hawkes appeared to confirm that this was the remains of a long barrow, so that the stones may be the remains of an entrance. Although dating is difficult, pottery excavated in 1956 indicates that the mound (and therefore probably the stones also) are Neolithic. Long barrows in this part of England that are not on chalk or limestone are rare.

The stones and the surrounding land are in the care of the National Trust and you can walk there freely at any time.