As a photographer and amateur archaeologist, Alfred Watkins (1855–1935) is known for developing the concept of “ley lines” — a term he coined to describe the apparent straight alignments of ancient sites and landmarks across the British landscape. Watkins’s theory was a rational and topographical hypothesis, proposing that these alignments marked prehistoric trackways or sightlines used for navigation and trade. His work, presented most fully in The Old Straight Track (1925), combined careful observation, mapping, and field study, and reflected his broader interest in recovering traces of early human movement and organization in the landscape.
