WIREDGOV

One hundred years ago today (21 September 2015), Stonehenge – the most famous prehistoric monument in the world – was sold at auction for £6,600 to a local Wiltshire man, Cecil Chubb. His purchase marked a turning point in the care and protection of the ancient monument and English Heritage, today’s guardian of Stonehenge, is marking the anniversary with re-enactments of the momentous auction throughout the day and with a special commemorative ticket for visitors.

The Man Who Bought Stonehenge – Cecil Chubb with his wife Mary

Kate Mavor, English Heritage’s Chief Executive, said: “Cecil Chubb's impulse buy marked a turning point in the story of how Stonehenge was transformed from neglected ruin to national treasure. His winning bid set in train a programme of care and conservation for both the monument and the surrounding landscape, one that continues today and whose next major milestone will be the removal of the A303 from the Stonehenge landscape.”

Legend has it that barrister Cecil Chubb went along to the auction in Salisbury to buy a set of dining chairs (as instructed by his wife). Instead he walked out of the Palace Theatre £6,600 lighter and the owner of Lot 15: “Stonehenge with about 30 acres, 2 rods, 37 perches of adjoining downland.” Chubb remarked to a local reporter that he had not intended to acquire the ancient stones “but while I was in the room, I thought a Salisbury man ought to buy it, and that is how it was done.” Asked if he had any plans for the stones, Chubb replied that he had not yet had time to think about it but wanted to assure the public that every means of “protecting Stonehenge…would be taken.”

Prior to its purchase, Stonehenge was in a perilous condition. A popular attraction since the Middle Ages, by the 19th century people were regularly chipping the stones for souvenirs and scratching their names on the monument. In 1881, timber props were used to shore up stones considered to be in danger of collapse while in December 1900, an upright sarsen stone fell and the massive horizontal lintel it held in place snapped in two. There was an outcry following which a police constable was appointed, the first organised excavation of Stonehenge got underway, the monument was enclosed by a fence, and an admission charge was introduced towards the upkeep and care of the monument. But the stones remained in a worrying condition with many of them held up with wooden props.

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