Books

Books : reviews

Bill Bevan.
Walk into Prehistory.
Frances Lincoln. 2011

A unique illustrated guidebook to walking over forty of Britain and Ireland’s most important and impressive prehistoric monuments.

Bill Bevan describes how these monuments, ranging from stone circles and henges to hillforts and burial chambers, were deliberately built and located to be seen and approached from certain directions. Processional routes led to ceremonies at stone circles, henges and tombs. Hillforts were built and designed to look imposing from specific directions to deter potential attackers. There are even ancient long-distance paths like the Ridgeway which are accessible today.

The walks lead you back in time from the modern landscape to reconstruct in the mind’s eye what the prehistoric landscape would have looked like. The history and significance of each monument is discussed and generously illustrated with new colour photographs. For each walk there is a map, directions and grid reference.

From Stonehenge to Skara Brae, from the imposing hillfort at Tre’r Ceiri to the Newgrange tomb illuminated by the midwinter sunrise, this book helps you to follow in the footsteps of the people who created the British Isles’ extraordinary ancient heritage.