A new survey of the Stonehenge landscape reveals the ancient monument once had two encircling hedges that may have been planted to keep secret whatever rituals took place among the stones.

Archaeologist and Stonehenge expert Mike Pitts wonders if the hedges might have been to shelter the watchers from the power of the stones, as much as to ward off the observers’ “impious” gaze. The full story is revealed in British Archaeology magazine.

A new study of the stones themselves, meanwhile, confirms that the majority of bluestones came from hundreds of miles away, in the Preseli Hills in West Wales. However, doubts still remain over the origin of the largest bluestone, the Altar Stone – its composition reveals it cannot be from the Preseli region.

A “second Stonehenge” has been discovered, next to the River Avon and allegedly linked by a processional route to the “actual” Stonehenge. Archaeologists say this newly discovered circle was composed of Welsh bluestones.

The recent discovery is bringing about a major re-think of the entire site. (Thanks to CharlieFarlie of the forum for the link.)

Last week, UK newspaper The Guardian had a series of supplements detailing Great British Walks. The one which appeared on day five will be of particular interest to readers of this blog as it focuses on Lost Worlds and Legends-themed walks.

Several of the trails are linked to sites featured heavily in Age of Misrule - Stonehenge, Loch Ness, Thomas the Rhymer’s Hills, Tintagel – and are a great way to soak up the atmosphere and discover more about these evocative places.

You can buy the whole set of walks supplements for a tenner here.

One final place to recommend if you’re journeying to Tenby in South Wales this summer: Caffe Vista in Crackwell Street, off the beaten track, but worth seeking out. For a start, it serves proper coffee (and cake) unlike the over-priced slop many cafes try to get away with in the UK. But if you head to the back, there’s also a sun-drenched balcony overlooking the sea that very few people know about. A good writers’ cafe, with free broadband too.

Fecci's ice cream

Okay, I’ve clearly not tasted every ice cream produced across the land, but the ones made by Fecci & Sons in Tenby are certainly my number one. The Italian family has been making ice cream in Tenby since the First World War and they’ve got several classic, traditional ice cream parlours around the town.

My favourite is in St George’s Street straight off the Five Arches as you go in. Another reason why I love the place, and certainly worth mentioning here at the start of the British summer. The ice cream really is that good. (Apologies for the hopeless photo, by the way.)