Paths of the Ancients: Alfred Watkins' the Old Straight Track

Discover the original theory of ley lines, the ancient straight trackways proposed by Alfred Watkins to connect prehistoric sites, ancient monuments, and sacred landscapes across Britain.

Offering a detailed account of the mysterious trackways across the British countryside, Watkins' The Old Straight Track is supported by field observations, maps, and photographs. First published in 1925, this seminal book proposes that ancient civilisations mapped these straight tracks Watkins' terms as 'leys', and used them as practical routes for travel and communication, forming a vast network linking stones circles, mounds, and other significant sites across the landscape.

Though initially met with scepticism by archaeologists and geographers, The Old Straight Track has since become a foundational text in the study of sacred geography, with ley lines reinterpreted in spiritual and esoteric traditions. Paths of the Ancients presents Watkins' groundbreaking presentation of the ley line theories that continue to be embraced as a compelling interpretation of the British landscape's mystical history and lore.