The stone settings at Stonehenge were built at a time of great change in prehistory, just as new styles of ‘Beaker’ pottery and the knowledge of metalworking, together with a transition to the burial of individuals with grave goods, were arriving from the Continent. From about 2400 BC, well-furnished Beaker graves such as that of the Amesbury Archer [9] are found nearby. These are inklings of astronomical knowledge that we are really surprised people had,” Wilkin said.

He said: “It’s true what they say about them being addictive — I just want something on the other arm to balance it. I’d worried what my husband would think as he’s not a fan of tattoos but he’s fairly neutral and says it’s a nice design. In about 2500 BC the stones were set up in the centre of the monument. Two types of stone are used at Stonehenge – the larger sarsens and the smaller ‘bluestones’. The sarsens were erected in two concentric arrangements – an inner horseshoe and an outer circle – and the bluestones were set up between them in a double arc. [7] Mr Rodger-Sharp was born six weeks premature during the Stonehenge Free Festival, an “underground” alternative celebration which lasted several weeks. He was named after paramedic David Nobbs, who delivered him.

The stones were shaped and set up to frame at least two important events in the annual solar cycle – the midwinter sunset at the winter solstice and the midsummer sunrise at the summer solstice. Development pressures are present and require careful management. Impacts from existing intrusive development should be mitigated where possible. It is possible that features such as the Heel Stone and the low mound known as the North Barrow were early components of Stonehenge, [3] but the earliest known major event was the construction of a circular ditch with an inner and outer bank, built about 3000 BC. This enclosed an area about 100 metres in diameter, and had two entrances. It was an early form of henge monument. [4]

The remains of a feast held close to Stonehenge around 3900 BC, offer a rare glimpse of exchanges between hunter-gatherers and the first farmer communities. Those gathered ate farmed beef and hunted venison. Chemical analysis shows that the two groups came from different places and their meat was prepared in different ways. The area of Stonehenge served as an important meeting place and a turning point for society. As a coming together of worldviews, languages, customs and traditions, the remains of this shared meal mark the end of thousands of years of a hunter-gatherer way of life. The small town of Amesbury is likely to have been established around the 6th century AD at a crossing point over the Avon. A decapitated man, possibly a criminal, was buried at Stonehenge in the Saxon period. [15] From this time on, sheep husbandry dominated the open downland around Stonehenge. [16] The earliest surviving written references to Stonehenge date from the medieval period, and from the 14th century onwards there are increasing references to Stonehenge and drawings and paintings of it. Work began on Stonehenge about 5,000 years ago, but it was built in stages over many years. The stone circle dates from about 2500 BC, in the late Neolithic period.

This survival and the huge potential of buried archaeology make the property an extremely important resource for archaeological research, which continues to uncover new evidence and expand our understanding of prehistory. Present day research has enormously improved our understanding of the property. The megalithic and earthen monuments of the World Heritage property demonstrate the shaping of the landscape through monument building for around 2000 years from circa 3700 BC, reflecting the importance and wide influence of both areas. There is a need to strengthen understanding of the overall relationship between remains, both buried and standing, at Stonehenge and at Avebury. I’ve never liked tattoos so perhaps this was a mid-life crisis. Stonehenge has always been part of me so I didn’t think there was a better way of showing it off.