People urged to vote Stonehenge

Stonehenge, on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, is one of 21 finalists

English Heritage is urging as many people as possible to vote for Stonehenge to ensure it becomes one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

Stonehenge is one of 21 finalists still in the race to become one of the New Seven Wonders.

"Stonehenge deserves a place among the New Seven Wonders of the world and I urge anyone who feels the same to vote," said Director Peter Carson.

On 7 July the seven winners will be announced in Lisbon, Portugal.

"Stonehenge represents something particularly special in our nation's history, " said Mr Carson.

"The ancient stone circle has endured thousands of years and while we know certain things about its history, the site still retains a sense of mystery drawing almost a million visitors a year from all over the world.

"Its construction was a feat of human perseverance yet we are still unsure of its original purpose."

A variety of wonders from around the world including the Acropolis, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, the Great Wall of China, the Taj Mahal and Machu Picchu are in the running to be named one of the new wonders.

The New7Wonders World Tour visited Stonehenge in October 2006 as part of its global tour to highlight the finalists.

An airship flew over the monument and, to celebrate its candidacy, 50 robed druids performed a ceremony in and around the stone circle.