Image courtesy of Ian Smith at iandsmithphotography.com

Devon as a whole may not have the headline ancient monuments such as Stonehenge or Avebury or even an Uffington White Horse or Cerne Abbas Giant. What it does have is a large number of often secluded smaller sites dating from the Mesolithic right through to the Post Roman Era and the onset of the so-called Dark Ages.

The main concentrations of ancient monuments are found on higher ground - hills and the high moorlands of Exmoor and Dartmoor. Overlooked by the casual visitor or tourist they offer a window on the past, their very seclusion making the stone circles and standing stones; the settlements and stone rows a place to relax and reflect on their purpose and the choice of their location.

Are they astronomical tools, to mark the changing of the seasons, or part of a 'ritual landscape' honouring their ancestors or, are they something else entirely? The ancient sites are found throughout the county. Click on your region above and explore one near you...