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Artists' rendering of a prehistoric festival at Stonehenge. 

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1900 BCE - Possible Beginning of Construction

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1900 BCE - Possible Beginning of Construction

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During the first stage of building, which could have begun around 1900 BCE, builders dug a large circular ditch around the site (Steele). They filled this ditch with 56 small holes, called "Aubrey Holes", which were named for John Aubrey, an early explorer of Stonehenge. The Aubrey Holes could have supported poles from the ground. Contrarily, Scott C. Littleton, Chair of the Department of Anthropology at Occidental College, says the first phase of construction began in 2900 BCE (Littleton 2149). Two more stages of building followed the first. During the second phase, eighty-two Dolerite stones, also called Bluestones were brought from South Wales to Wiltshire and then arranged in two consecutive circles, each with thirty-eight stones, and an entry comprised of six stones using a road spanning from Avon river to the site (Steele). During the final stage, builders switched the Bluestones for sarsen, a different type of sandstone (Littleton 2149).

Image Source: 1815 illustration by Samuel Rush Meyrick and Charles Hamilton Smith on Britannica Image Quest

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William Stukeley was an archaeologist who studied and compared many different megaliths, including Stonehenge, Avebury, and the Rollright Stones. He first visited Stonehenge in 1716 with his peer, Lord Pembroke. They gathered data about the site to explore the creation and use of Stonehenge. John Aubrey's Monumenta Britannica also increased Stukeley's interest in the site. Over many years, Sturkeley made many different discoveries about Stonehenge. These included identifying an ancient entrance road to Stonehenge and locating a related site north of the site called the Cursus. In 1740, Sturkeley released his book Stonehenge, which describes Stonehenge's connection to the summer solstice, an idea which is still prominent today (Parry).

Image Source: Illustration from the National Library of Medicine on ABC-CLIO

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UNESCO added Stonehenge, Avebury, and Associated Sites to the World Heritage Site list in 1986 (Pearson). Stonehenge became a UNESCO World Heritage Site for many reasons. These included exhibiting a highly advanced and innovative design, still influencing artists and scholars today, and providing insight into life in prehistoric times ("Stonehenge, Avebury").

Image Source: 2016 photo from Skyscan on Britannica Image Quest

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Rioters and police are seen crowded around a vehicle during the Battle of Beanfield.

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In 1988, on the day of the summer solstice, around 4,000 people attempted to go to Stonehenge to celebrate the occasion. However, the charity which oversees the monument, English Heritage, only created 1,100 tickets for people to access Stonehenge. While most of these rioters were normal people, 60 of them were Druids. The rioters threw objects at the police who were at the site to try to break through their barrier. In the end, eight police officers and two citizens were injured ("Hippies Clash"). This was not the only riot to happen at Stonehenge. The controversial Battle of Beanfield occurred on On June 1st, 1985, when members of the Peace Convoy, a group which included around 600 people and over 100 vehicles, attempted to hold the Stonehenge Free Festival. However, the High Court banned this festival due to clear drug use and disregard for the law in previous years. Over a thousand police officers came to Stonehenge to block access to the site. Ultimately, over twenty people, both police and civilians, were admitted to the hospital and over 500 people were arrested (Jinman).

Image Source: 1985 photo from Independent

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An aerial view of Stonehenge including the A303 highway next to it. 

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The High Court made plans to spend 1.7 billion pounds on the construction of a tunnel which will include a significant part of Stonehenge land. This plan jeopardizes Stonehenge's classification as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (Middleton). English Heritage, the charity which oversees Stonehenge, supports the construction of the road tunnel because it would restore much of the site's land. Currently, the A303 cuts across Stonehenge's property. Since the government approved the plan in 2023, the majority of construction is set for the middle of 2025 ("Stonehenge and the A303").

Image Source: photo from Britannica Image Quest