Second monument discovered by experts studying Stonehenge land

The second henge – a circular ditch thought to have held a free-standing wooden structure – was uncovered two weeks into a three-year project to map the area around the World Heritage Site.

Leaders of the international project, involving experts from the University of Bradford and other British universities as well as teams from Austria, Germany, Norway and Sweden, hailed the discovery of Stonehenge's lost "twin" as incredible.

Professor Vince Gaffney, from the University of Birmingham, said: "It will completely change the way we think about the landscape around Stonehenge.

"People have tended to think that as Stonehenge reached its peak, it was the paramount monument, existing in splendid isolation.

"This discovery is completely new and extremely important in how we understand Stonehenge and its landscape."

The new "henge-like" late Neolithic structure would have stood within sight of Stonehenge and appears to have been built on the same orientation as the world-renowned monument.

It comprises a segmented ditch with entrances to the north east and south west, which are associated with internal pits of up to three feet in diameter.

The international study forms part of the Stonehenge Hidden Landscapes Project and was led by the University of Birmingham and the Austria-based Ludwig Boltzmann Institute.

The project aims to map 5.5 square miles of the terrain around the Wiltshire monument, using the latest geophysical imaging techniques.

Dr Christopher Gaffney, of the University of Bradford, said: "Discovering a new site so close to Stonehenge is extremely exciting. A 'new' henge so close to Stonehenge is a tremendously important discovery that could radically change our perception of the landscape.

"The strategy that we are implementing within this project has provided a first glimpse of new and important information regarding the hidden past at Stonehenge. We aim to cover large areas around Stonehenge and we expect this to be the first of many significant discoveries."