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Stonehenge (suspended stone, from stone, stone, and henge, which derives from hang, to suspend: in reference to the lintels) is a Neolithic site located near Amesbury in Wiltshire, England, about 13 kilometers north-west of Salisbury. It is the most famous and impressive cromlech ("stone circle" in Breton): composed of a circular set of large standing stones, known as megaliths, sometimes surmounted by colossal horizontal elements. The Stonehenge stones owe their current alignment to reconstruction work in the first half of the 20th century: Assuming that the current alignment faithfully reproduces the previous one, some argue that Stonehenge represents an "ancient astronomical observatory", with particular significance at the solstice and equinox points, although the importance of its use for this purpose is debated. The site was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1986.
In addition to being a mass tourism destination, Stonehenge is currently a place of pilgrimage for many followers of Celticism, Wicca and other neo-pagan religions, and was the scene of a free music festival between 1972 and 1984; in 1985 this festival was banned by the British government due to the violent confrontation between the police and some participants which became known as the Battle of the Beanfield.