Archaeologists have discovered that what was thought to be a single standing stone in a forest is part of a larger ceremonial site dating back 3,700 years to the Bronze Age.

The discovery in Farley Wood, near Matlock in Derbyshire, was made after excavations by Forestry England in partnership with archaeology series Time Team.

At 2m (6.6ft) tall, the Farley Moor standing stone was previously believed to be an isolated monument.

But Forestry England said excavations uncovered evidence of a ceremonial platform beside it and identified that five other nearby stones would once have been standing, creating a circle.

Dr Lawrence Shaw, Forestry England’s lead historic environment adviser, said the discovery, which will feature in an episode aired on Time Team’s YouTube channel on Saturday, was “hugely significant and transforms our understanding” of the site.

According to Forestry England, the main stone was intentionally placed above a natural spring.

“What we’ve uncovered is evidence of a much more complex ceremonial landscape, which the original standing stone is part of,” Dr Shaw explained.

“The stone platform predates the standing stone itself, suggesting continuous ritual use of this site over hundreds of years, strongly linked to the water and the importance it held for Bronze Age communities.”

Local archaeology enthusiast George Bird had suggested “for some time” the stone might be part of a larger monument, and his interest prompted the investigation.

Forestry England said it would continue to protect the area and manage the entire site of the circle as though it were a scheduled monument to ensure it is preserved.

The archaeology team hopes to return next summer to do a longer investigation looking in more detail at some of the newly identified stones.

They will try to uncover when the site was first created and establish how big the larger ritual complex is, Forestry England added.

Dr Derek Pitman, associate professor of archaeology and anthropology at Bournemouth University, said: “It’s a dream come true to get to work on such a significant prehistoric monument.

“The scale of activity that likely existed in that landscape highlights the impact of Bronze Age ritual life far beyond headline sites like Stonehenge.”