History of Stonehenge in Timeline

Stonehenge is a prehistoric megalithic monument located on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, England. It comprises an outer ring of large sarsen standing stones capped with horizontal lintels, featuring unique mortise and tenon joints. Within this ring stands a circle of smaller bluestones and free-standing trilithons. The monument is aligned with the solstices. Situated amidst a dense complex of Neolithic and Bronze Age earthworks, including numerous tumuli, Stonehenge is a significant archaeological site offering insights into prehistoric cultures and beliefs.

December 1900: Stone 22 falls during storm

In December 1900, Stone 22 fell during a fierce storm.

1901: First major restoration of the monument

In 1901, William Gowland oversaw the first major restoration of Stonehenge. This involved straightening and setting sarsen stone number 56 in concrete, as it was in danger of falling. During this process, the stone was moved about half a meter from its original position. Gowland also excavated the monument, revealing more about the erection of the stones than the previous 100 years of work.

August 1905: Ancient Order of Druids Mass Initiation Ceremony

In August 1905, the Ancient Order of Druids held a mass initiation ceremony at Stonehenge, admitting 259 new members. The event was mocked in the press due to the costumes worn by the Neo-druids.

September 1915: Stonehenge put up for auction

In September 1915, Stonehenge was put up for auction by Sir Cosmo Gordon Antrobus, with the auction held on 21 September 1915.

1920: 1920s restoration

During the 1920 restoration, William Hawley excavated the base of six stones and the outer ditch. He also located a bottle of port wine left by Cunnington in the Slaughter Stone socket, rediscovered Aubrey's pits, and located the concentric circular Y and Z Holes outside the Sarsen Circle.

1920: Exhumation of cremated remains

In 1920, during an excavation led by William Hawley, the cremated remains originally buried individually in the Aubrey holes were exhumed. Hawley considered them unimportant.

1921: Free Admission Agreement

In 1921, an agreement was made entitling approximately 30,000 local residents to free admission to Stonehenge.

1923: Excavation of decapitated Saxon man

In 1923, a decapitated seventh-century Saxon man was excavated from Stonehenge.

1926: Excavation of decapitated skeleton

In 1926, William Hawley excavated a decapitated skeleton of a male, aged 28–32, within the stone circles, close to Y-Hole 9 on the central axis. Radiocarbon analysis allocates a date of between 600–690 AD to the find.

August 1927: Subscription fund launched to save the skyline

In August 1927, a subscription fund was launched to "save the skyline" of the monument.

October 1927: Enough money raised to purchase Plot A

By October 1927, £8,000 had been raised, which was enough to purchase Plot A and start the demolition of the aerodrome.

1927: Land around Stonehenge put up for auction

In 1927, the land around Stonehenge was put up for auction in three plots: Plot A, Plot B and Plot C.

1929: Fundraising for Plot C continued

Fundraising for Plot C continued through 1929 in order to secure the remaining land around the henge for the nation.

1930: Last large aircraft hangar removed

In 1930, the last large aircraft hangar was removed from the Stonehenge Aerodrome.

1935: Reburial of cremated remains

In 1935, the cremated remains that had been exhumed in 1920 were reburied together in one hole, Aubrey Hole 7.

1958: A core sample, originally extracted

A core sample, originally extracted in 1958, had recently been returned and analysed.

1958: Restoration of southwest trilithon

In 1958, the southwest trilithon, which had collapsed in 1797, was restored.

1958: Stones were restored again

In 1958, three of the standing sarsens were re-erected and set in concrete bases as part of another restoration effort at Stonehenge.

1963: Last restoration carried out

In 1963, the last restoration was carried out after stone 23 of the Sarsen Circle fell over. It was re-erected, and three more stones were concreted.

1966: Excavation of the area northwest of the stones

In 1966, prior to the construction of a new car park at the site, Faith and Lance Vatcher excavated the area of land immediately northwest of the stones.

1967: Discovery of Mesolithic postholes

In 1967, Faith and Lance Vatcher discovered the Mesolithic postholes dating from between 7000 and 8000 BC, as well as a 10-meter length of a palisade ditch.

1972: Stonehenge Free Festival Begins

In 1972, the Stonehenge Free Festival, loosely organized by the Polytantric Circle, began.

1975: Stonehenge Free Festival Begins Annually

From 1975 onward, the Stonehenge Free Festival was held annually.

1977: Stones Roped Off

In 1977, the stones at Stonehenge were roped off to the public due to serious erosion.

1978: Stonehenge Fenced Off

In 1978, Stonehenge was fenced off to the public.

1978: Excavations by Atkinson and John Evans

In 1978, excavations were carried out by Atkinson and John Evans, during which they discovered the remains of the Stonehenge Archer in the outer ditch.

1978: Discovery of the Stonehenge Archer

In 1978, the Stonehenge Archer was discovered in the outer ditch of the monument.

1979: Atkinson disposes of Roman demolition theory

In 1979, Richard J. C. Atkinson applied newly developed stratigraphical techniques to dispose of the theory that the Roman army had attempted to demolish the monument as a centre for druidic resistance.

1979: Rescue archaeology alongside the Heel Stone

In 1979, rescue archaeology was needed alongside the Heel Stone after a cable-laying ditch was mistakenly dug on the roadside, revealing a new stone hole next to the Heel Stone.

1979: Visitor Facilities Proposal

In 1979, the Department of the Environment proposed moving visitor facilities to Stonehenge Bottom.

1984: Stonehenge Free Festival Attendance Peaks

In 1984, the Stonehenge Free Festival attendance peaked to approximately 30,000 visitors.

1984: Vandalism Incident

In 1984, the Stonehenge monument was defaced with purple spray paint as a act of vandalism.

1985: English Heritage Commission Recommendation

In 1985, a commission set up by English Heritage recommended closing the A344 road and building a visitor centre on Army land to accommodate an expected 1 million visitors per year.

1985: End of Stonehenge Free Festival and the Battle of the Beanfield

In 1985, the Stonehenge Free Festival was shut down by a High Court injunction. This led to the Battle of the Beanfield, a violent confrontation between police and New Age travellers. Access to the stones for religious purposes was also restricted starting in 1985.

1986: UNESCO World Heritage Site

In 1986, Stonehenge and its surroundings were added to UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites, recognizing its cultural and historical significance.

1993: Stonehenge called a 'national disgrace'

In 1993, the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee called the way that Stonehenge was presented to the public 'a national disgrace'.

1995: Megalith transport experiment

In 1995, an experiment successfully transported a 40-ton slab of stone near Stonehenge using a sleigh pulled by a team of over 100 workers. The 18-mile journey started from the Marlborough Downs.

1995: Publication of 'Stonehenge in its landscape'

In 1995, the monograph "Stonehenge in its landscape" was published, presenting the complex stratigraphy and the finds recovered from the site.

1998: Limited Access Granted

In 1998, after a European Court of Human Rights ruling, a party of 100 people, including astronomers, archaeologists, Druids, locals, pagans, and travellers, was granted access to Stonehenge.

2000: Open Summer Solstice Event Held

In 2000, an open summer solstice event was held at Stonehenge, drawing approximately seven thousand attendees.

2001: Summer Solstice Attendance Increases

In 2001, the attendance at the summer solstice event at Stonehenge increased to approximately 10,000 people.

2003: Stonehenge Riverside Project

In 2003, the Stonehenge Riverside Project, led by Mike Parker Pearson, began a series of digs to investigate other monuments in the landscape and their relationship to the stones.

2004: English Heritage included pictures of the work in progress

In 2004, English Heritage included pictures of the work in progress in its book Stonehenge: A History in Photographs.

2006: National Geographic Survey Ranking

In 2006, a National Geographic survey ranked Stonehenge 75th out of 94 leading World Heritage Sites, declaring it to be "in moderate trouble" due to access issues.

December 2007: Road Tunnel and Visitor Center Plans Cancelled

In December 2007, the government announced that plans to build a Stonehenge road tunnel and a permanent visitors' centre were cancelled due to cost concerns.

April 2008: Dig inside the stone circle to retrieve datable fragments

In April 2008, Tim Darvill and Geoff Wainwright began a dig inside the stone circle to retrieve datable fragments of the original bluestone pillars.

May 2008: Licence for the removal of human remains granted

In May 2008, the Ministry of Justice granted a licence for the removal of human remains at Stonehenge, in accordance with the Statement on burial law and archaeology issued in May 2008.

September 2008: Excavation of Aubrey Hole 7

In September 2008, Julian C. Richards and Mike Pitts excavated Aubrey Hole 7, removing the cremated remains from several Aubrey Holes that had been excavated by Hawley in the 1920s, and re-interred in 1935.

2008: Roman era activity suggested

In 2008, an excavation, together with an analysis of earlier excavations, suggested that during the Roman era the monument was the site of substantial activity, beyond mere casual occupation. Coins from the late fourth century, a large quantity of Roman-era pottery, and pit-buried bones of food animals indicated that the location had importance as a ritual or ceremonial site.

2008: Stonehenge Riverside Project findings

In 2008, the Stonehenge Riverside Project excavated the point where Stonehenge Avenue meets the River Avon, revealing a previously unknown circular area that likely housed four additional stones.

2008: Vandalism of the Heel Stone

In 2008, two men chipped a small piece off the Heel Stone using a hammer and screwdriver, marking the first vandalism in decades.

April 2009: New landscape investigation conducted

In April 2009, a new landscape investigation was conducted, identifying a shallow mound between stones 54 and 10, as well as circular, shallow banks near the Y and Z hole circles.

2009: Government Approves Smaller Visitor Center Scheme

In 2009, the government approved a £25 million scheme to create a smaller visitors' centre and close the A344 road, contingent on funding and planning consent.

2010: Planning Permission Granted

In 2010, Wiltshire Council granted planning permission for a visitor centre located 1.5 mi (2.4 kilometres) west of Stonehenge, with funding supported by a £10m grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

2010: Discovery of a "henge-like" monument

In 2010, the Stonehenge Hidden Landscape Project discovered a "henge-like" monument less than 0.62 miles away from the main site, located at the site of Amesbury 50.

2010: Stonehenge Hidden Landscape Project began

In the summer of 2010, the Stonehenge Hidden Landscape Project began using non-invasive geophysical imaging techniques.

November 2011: Discovery of huge pits within the Stonehenge Cursus pathway

In November 2011, archaeologists announced the discovery of evidence of two huge pits positioned within the Stonehenge Cursus pathway, aligned in celestial position towards midsummer sunrise and sunset when viewed from the Heel Stone.

December 2011: Discovery of the source of rhyolite fragments

In December 2011, geologists announced the discovery of the source of some of the rhyolite fragments found in the Stonehenge debitage, identifying it as Craig Rhos-y-felin in north Pembrokeshire.

2011: Discovery of Megalithic bluestone quarry

In 2011, the long-distance human transport theory for the Stonehenge bluestones was bolstered by the discovery of a megalithic bluestone quarry at Craig Rhos-y-felin, near Crymych in Pembrokeshire, which is the most likely source of some of the stones.

June 2013: Closure of A344 Begins

In June 2013, the A344 road was closed to begin removing a section of the road and replacing it with grass.

December 2013: Visitor Center Opens

In December 2013, the new visitor centre, designed by Denton Corker Marshall, opened to the public.

2013: Tourist car park closed

In 2013 the tourist car park, located above the site where Mesolithic postholes dating to around 8000 BC were found, was closed.

2013: Excavation of cremated bone fragments

In 2013, archaeologists led by Parker Pearson excavated over 50,000 cremated bone fragments from 63 individuals buried at Stonehenge. Analysis revealed the remains were of almost equal numbers of men and women, including children. The team concluded that the first bluestones from Wales were likely used as grave markers, supported by crushed chalk beneath the graves. Radiocarbon dating put the site's date to around 3000 BC.

2013: Parched grass reveals possible missing sarsens

In the exceptionally dry summer of 2013, patches of parched grass were revealed at Stonehenge, which may correspond to the location of missing sarsens.

2014: Findings announced by the University of Birmingham

In 2014, the University of Birmingham announced findings including evidence of adjacent stone and wooden structures and burial mounds near Durrington, Wiltshire, that may date as far back as 4000 BC. As many as 17 new monuments revealed nearby may be Late Neolithic monuments resembling Stonehenge.

2017: Bluestone origin studies begin

In 2017 studies by Parker Pearson and his team suggested that the bluestones used in Stonehenge had been moved there following dismantling of a stone circle of identical size to the first known Stonehenge circle at the Welsh site of Waun Mawn in the Preseli Hills.

2017: Excavations at Waun Mawn

In 2017, excavations by professor Parker Pearson's team at Waun Mawn, a large stone circle site in the Preseli Hills, suggested that the site had originally housed a 110-metre diameter stone circle of the same size as Stonehenge's original bluestone circle.

2018: Strontium content study of bones

In 2018, a study of the strontium content of the bones found that many of the individuals buried there around the time of construction had likely come from near the source of the bluestone in Wales and had not extensively lived in the area of Stonehenge before death.

2018: Excavations at Waun Mawn continued

In 2018, excavations by professor Parker Pearson's team at Waun Mawn, suggested that the site had originally housed a stone circle orientated towards the midsummer solstice.

2019: Evidence of Megalithic quarrying found in Wales

In 2019, a publication announced that evidence of Megalithic quarrying had been found at quarries in Wales identified as a source of Stonehenge's bluestone, indicating that the bluestone was quarried by human agency and not transported by glacial action.

July 2020: Study concludes sarsen stones match West Woods

In July 2020, a study concluded that the large sarsen stones were "a direct chemical match" to those found at West Woods near Marlborough, Wiltshire.

November 2020: Tunnel Plan Approved

In November 2020, the government announced that a plan to construct a four-lane tunnel to take traffic below the Stonehenge site had been approved.

2020: Sarsen stone origin analysis published

Analysis published in 2020 indicates the sarsens (silicified sandstone boulders) came from West Woods, about 16 miles (26 km) from the monument.

2020: Accusations of Vandalism Against Transport Minister

In 2020, the British transport minister faced accusations of vandalism for approving a tunnel project near Stonehenge, with historian Tom Holland calling it "an act of vandalism."

February 2021: Discovery of Neolithic and Bronze Age artifacts

In February 2021, archaeologists announced the discovery of "vast troves of Neolithic and Bronze Age artifacts" while conducting excavations for the proposed highway tunnel near Stonehenge, including Bronze Age graves and late Neolithic pottery.

2021: Work by Parker Pearson's team concluded at Waun Mawn

In 2021, Parker Pearson's team concluded that the Waun Mawn circle had never been completed, and of the stones which might once have stood at the site, no more than 13 had been removed in antiquity.

2021: Publication of studies suggesting Waun Mawn as origin of bluestones

In 2021, studies by Parker Pearson and his team were published. They suggested that the bluestones used in Stonehenge had been moved there following dismantling of a stone circle of identical size to the first known Stonehenge circle at the Welsh site of Waun Mawn in the Preseli Hills.

2021: Original Planning Application Overturned

In 2021, the original planning application for the four-lane tunnel was overturned by the High Court.

January 2022: Discovery of prehistoric pits

In January 2022, archaeologists announced the discovery of thousands of prehistoric pits during an electromagnetic induction field survey around Stonehenge, with one of the oldest being about 10000 years old and containing hunting tools.

2022: National Trust Acquires More Land

In 2022, the National Heritage Lottery Fund (NHLF) provided a grant to the National Trust, which allowed them to acquire an additional 170 hectares of the Stonehenge Landscape.

July 2023: Transport Secretary Approves Road Tunnel Plans

In July 2023, the Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, approved plans for a 2-mile (3.2 km) road tunnel despite the original planning application having been overturned in 2021.

2023: Value of Cecil Chubb's purchase

In 2023, the value of Cecil Chubb's purchase in 1915 of the site for £6,600 (£668,000 in 2023).

February 2024: High Court Rejects Bid to Stop Tunnel Construction

In February 2024, the High Court in London rejected a fresh bid by campaigners to halt construction of the Stonehenge road tunnel.

July 2024: Further Legal Challenge Made

In July 2024, a further legal challenge was made in the High Court against the Stonehenge tunnel plan.

July 2024: Labour Government Cancels Tunnel Plan

In July 2024, the newly elected Labour government officially cancelled the proposed tunnel plan near Stonehenge.

August 2024: Research identifying the origin of the Altar Stone published

In August 2024, research from a team at Curtin University in Australia was published in the journal Nature identifying the origin of the Altar Stone as having come from the Orcadian Basin in northeast Scotland.

October 2024: High Court Dismisses Action, but Tunnel Cancelled

In October 2024, the High Court dismissed the legal action against the tunnel plan. However, the incoming Labour government had already announced in July that the tunnel would 'not move forward'.

2024: Altar Stone origin research announced

In 2024, work announced by a team from Curtin University found that the best match for the Altar Stone was with rocks in the Orcadian Basin (which includes Caithness, Orkney, and the Moray Firth regions of north-eastern Scotland), implying the stone was transported some 430 miles (690 km).

March 2025: Planning Permission Granted for New Buildings

In March 2025, English Heritage announced that planning permission had been granted for the construction of a 'Learning Centre' and a 'Neolithic classroom' near the visitor facilities.