One way in which Neolithic people made an impact on the landscape was in the construction of earthwork and stone monuments. During the earlier part of the period these were causewayed enclosures and communal tombs (earthen long barrows in the south and east, stone chambered tombs in the north and west). A little later, linear earthworks (some of which were very long) known as cursus monuments were constructed, often close to long barrows, creating a ceremonial landscape. New features might be added to the landscape over the centuries, but respected the sacred traditions of the past. This monument-building must reflect changing ideologies and social organisation.

As time went on there was increased emphasis on the commemoration of individuals in burials, and the large communal tombs ceased to be used. By 3000 BC different kinds of ceremonial structures were being built – the henges, which take their name from Stonehenge (although the early phase of the monument, dating to around 3000 BC, was just an earthen bank and ditch). There are various types and sizes of henge; they are earthwork enclosures which may have internal settings of stones or posts and sometimes pits. Their positioning may respect existing monuments. These landscapes grew as the monument-builders re-worked the meanings and functions of the structures shaping them.