Although thousands of years older than theDruids, the stone circle witnessed manydruidic ceremonies, especially during the19th century, when it was thought that thestone circle had been built by the Druids. Today, much work goes on behind the scenesto ensure that Stonehenge and its uniqueprehistoric landscape are protected for futuregenerations. English Heritage and theNational Trust play a key role in this respect.The site has also acquired a wealth ofpseudoscientific and mystical associationswhich both distort and diminish itssignificance. A first stage in preparing for avisit is to strip away some of this mentalclutter so that the pupils can see themonument within its true historical context.