British megalith architecture

Although (geologically) different from "megalithic" sites, the earthen long barrows in East England are grouped with them from a cultural historical perspective.

Exemplary in this respect are the "cruciform passage" sites of the Maes Howe type in Orkney (in Ireland e.g. Knowth and Newgrange), whose distribution extends as far as the Scilly Isles and Devonshire in England.

In addition to the great wealth of variety in Scotland, favoured by its geography, there are also sites on the Scottish islands with individual characteristics.

On the other hand, the Middle Neolithic pottery in the trenches of long barrows and the late dates of the hearths (Herde) on the forecourts of megalithic sites such as Monamore on the Isle of Arran, indicate that the interest of the communities in these monuments was maintained for centuries after the last burial.

The conversion of a classic passage tomb into a henge monument, as in Bryn Celli Ddu on Anglesey, shows that the religious focus was maintained in traditional construction, even if new sites were already being built.