Welcome to our take on A Brief History of Stonehenge, where we explore exactly how this iconic prehistoric landmark came to be. Now one of the top must-see destinations in England, Stonehenge is beloved by tourists and locals alike. There are many different theories about how Stonehenge may have changed over time, but we will discuss some of the most commonly accepted. Read on to find out about the mysteries of Stonehenge and how it became the UNESCO World Heritage Site that it is today.

Mesolithic Era (~9700 to 4000 BC)

At this point in time, Stonehenge would still not be built for approximately another 5000 years. However, this was when we have the earliest evidence of a human presence within this landscape. Salisbury Plains where Stonehenge is located has been a chalk grassland for the last 10,000 years and the ancient people who dwelled here were hunter-gatherers, living off the land. They also constructed what we now call the Mesolithic Posts–great wooden totem-like poles. These would have been visible for miles across the rolling hills and although they are long gone nowadays, their location is still marked today, just by the shuttle drop-off area at the stone circle. There’s no way of knowing, but maybe the Posts were why this place was chosen as the site to build Stonehenge…

Neolithic Era (~4000 to 2500 BC)

First stage of construction (circa. 2800 BC)

The first thing to be constructed at Stonehenge was the ‘henge’ itself. This was a large earthwork in the shape of a circular bank and ditch, which still encloses the stone circle today. The stones themselves also looked very different to what they do today. Along the inside of the circular earthen henge were the bluestones, brought by the Neolithic people from their previous place of living on their migration to Salisbury Plains. Around 40 in number, they stood in a great circle. We call the spots where they were positioned ‘the Aubrey Holes’. In and around these holes, cremated human remains have been found, meaning when Stonehenge was first built, it was used as a burial ground.

Second stage of construction (circa. 2500 BC)

In this phase, the bluestones were moved to the centre of the stone circle where they were rearranged several times. More stones were introduced, too–the sarsens. These rocks came from the local landscape and are many times taller and heavier than the bluestones. They were used to form a ring of upright stones supporting a horizontal circle of lintel stones on top. These lintel stones were very advanced engineering for the time, the first of its kind. The sarsens also make up a horseshoe of trilithons, the tallest of which was the alignment marker for the winter solstice setting sun. As for the summer solstice, this is marked by the heel stone, another sarsen standing to the east, aligned with the sunrise. At this point, the purpose of Stonehenge had changed from a cemetery to a solar and lunar calendar.

Bronze Age (~2000 to 800 BC)

With the discovery of metal and how to use it came another lifestyle shift, but Stonehenge was still very important to the local people. Construction of the stone circle was now complete, but changes were still being made in the surrounding landscape. People started making barrows–Bronze Age burial mounds where they would inter the remains of high-status persons with precious grave goods like gold jewellery and bronze daggers. The barrows are dotted throughout the landscape around Stonehenge, always on the highest point of the slopes of the rolling hills. The Bronze Age people ensured all the barrows had a direct line of sight across to the stone circle, likely in an effort to give their dead a connection to the stones.

Roman Era (43 AD to early 5th century)

After the Bronze Age, Stonehenge was largely not-visited until the Roman invasion of Britain in 43 AD. The Romans brought with them technology, resources and culture, which they merged with that of the local Celtic people. One of the ways they achieved this was by creating hybrid-gods, mixing a local Celtic deity with an imported Roman one to make a divine that both peoples could worship. Stonehenge was frequently visited in this period, suggesting that it was a place of ritual importance to Romano-British people–likely a temple for one of these hybrid-gods. Indeed, many Roman objects have been found there, including coins, pins, jewellery and pottery fragments.

Victorian Era (1837 to 1901 AD)

After many centuries of being largely ignored by the general public, Stonehenge became very popular in the 1800s. Tourists began to flock to the stones in their hundreds, mostly upper-class since they had the time and the money. Unfortunately, their treatment of the stones was far from careful. They would chip off pieces of the stones for themselves, either as a souvenir or for use in folk remedies, thanks to rumours of healing powers. They would also leave their mark, carving their names onto the rock-face. Although nationwide interest in the stones was at a record-high, the site suffered a lot of damage during this time. By the start of the 20th century, the worsening state of Stonehenge began to cause real concern, and restoration works began to be carried out.

20th Century

The early 1900s was a period of great change for Stonehenge. First came restoration works, propping stones up and even using cranes to put some of the lintels back in their original positions. Also, visitors started to be charged a shilling per person in admission. Then, in 1915, the head of the Antrobus family which owned the Stonehenge landscape died, and the land was divided up to be sold at auction. Cecil Chubb, a local barrister, bought the stones on a whim as a present for his beloved wife, Mary. Fortunately for us, three years later, the Chubbs donated Stonehenge to the nation. It has remained public property ever since and in 1984 was entrusted to the care of the charity English Heritage.

Present Day

Nowadays, English Heritage are the caretakers of Stonehenge. They manage the site on behalf of the nation: running the visitor centre, with the cafe, gift shop and exhibition; managing the thousands of tourists who flock to the site every day of the year; and protecting the landscape and its centuries of history. They also promote education about the stones, encouraging a love of history and learning through the exhibition, studies and research, and frequent events and activities. Conservation has been their top priority, leading to several projects to improve the site. These included removing and rebuilding the visitor centre, converting ploughed fields back to the original authentic grassland, and rerouting a section of main road that ran too close to the stones. English Heritage have been looking after Stonehenge for over forty years and continue to preserve the site for future generations.

Book Your Tour to Stonehenge

Thank you for reading A Brief History of Stonehenge, and we hope to welcome you to this bucket-list destination soon. What awaits Stonehenge in the future remains to be seen. However, there is no doubt this mighty megalithic site will continue to attract both visitors from all over the world for many years to come. If you would like to get up close and personal with the awe-inspiring stones for yourself, check out the amazing Half-Day Stonehenge Tour from London that we offer. We look forward to seeing you on tour!