122 Recent Wiltshire Boohs, Articles, &c. 



led me is that the megalithic structures at Stonehenge — the worked 

 sarsens with their mortises and lintels, and above all the trilithons of 

 the magnificent naos— represent a re-dedication and a re-construction, 

 on a much more imposing plan and scale, of a much older temple." [The 

 illustrations of this section are a Map of the stones from the Ordnance 

 Survey, and a View from behind the altar-stone to the Friar's Heel, along 

 the axis of the circle.] The author begins his fourth section in these 

 words: — "The conclusion at which I have arrived is that the older 

 temple dealt primarily, but not exclusively, with the May year ; the 

 newer temple represented a change of cult, and was dedicated primarily 

 to the solstitial year. In both, however, the sunrises and sunsets of the 

 June — December and May — November years could be, and doubtless 

 were, observed." In support of this theory he adduces the fact that "the 

 blocks of unworked sarsen, perhaps dating from a time when the use of 

 stone tools for working stone in Britain was unknown, are precisely 

 those which give us the alignments, both for the May and June years." 

 He thinks that the blue stones may have originally' composed two circles 

 and a central stone, similar to the inner circles at Avebury. At the 

 reconstruction, about 1680 B.C., the solstitial cult was made predominant, 

 and for some reason or other it was determined to change the centre of 

 the circles in the new structure, and throw the N.E. alignment nearer 

 the north, still remaining parallel to its old direction. He suggests that 

 the blue stones, originallj' unworked, were then taken up, trimmed into 

 shape, and re-set, which would account for the great number of fragments 

 found. He thinks, too, that the avenue and vallum were then added, 

 and that it is possible that the small blue stone trilithon of which the 

 lintel still remains, may have been used for the observation of the May 

 sunrise. An illustration shows the Friar's Heel seen through the outer 

 circle. 



The Standard, March 31st, 1905, has a reference to a paper on this 

 subject read on March 30th by Sir Norman Lockyer at a meeting of the 

 Royal Society. 



Stonehenge. The trial of the action brought against Sir Edmund 

 Antrobus by the Commons and Footpaths Preservation Society and 

 others to assert the right of public access to Stonehenge was shortly 

 reported in The Times of March '29th, 31st, April 5th, and April 20th. 

 The evidence was, however, reported at much greater length by the local 

 papers, especially by the Salisbury Journal, April 8th, 15th, and 22nd. 

 and the Wilts County Mirror, March 31st, April 7th, 14th, and 21st, 

 The Devizes Gazette also reqorted the case at some length March 80th, 

 April 6th and 27th. The plaintiffs altogether failed to establish a right 

 of way through the stones, and the judge gave judgment against them 

 on all points, and expressed his opinion that the case ought never to 

 have been brought. 



The Devizes Gazette, the Salisbury Journal, and the Wilts County 

 Mirror expressed their concurrence in the judgment, whilst the two latter 

 expressed the hope that Sir Edmund Antrobus might allow the nation 



