A Neolithic World of Interiors opens at Stonehenge

re-created Neolithic houses

Visitors can now see that far from being dark and primitive, the homes of our distant ancestors were incredibly bright and airy spaces and consisted of a single room with white chalk walls and floors designed to reflect sunlight and capture the heat from the fire. The smoke from the fire filtered up through a thatched roof – knotted or tied straw carefully secured onto a hazel woven frame. Around the walls stood wooden or woven furniture – beds, seating, storage and shelving.

The houses are the latest phase in the major programme by English Heritage to improve both the setting around the monument and the overall experience of visitors to Stonehenge. They sit alongside the new visitor centre and are furnished with replica Neolithic axes, pottery and other artefacts and are lit with fires. Volunteers are on hand to talk to visitors about the houses and – from grinding grain with a quern to making rope out of rushes – to demonstrate the daily activities of our ancestors.

Stonehenge Manager Kate Davies said: “The houses really help visitors re-connect the ancient stones with the people that lived and worked in the surrounding landscape. They can step through the door of the houses and get a real sense of what everyday life might have been like when Stonehenge was built.”

Over the past five months, a 60 strong team of English Heritage volunteers built the houses using authentic local materials: weaving hundreds of hazel rods through the main supporting stakes, thatching the roofs with wheat-straw, and covering the walls with a daub of chalk, hay and water. In total over 20 tonnes of chalk were used as well as 5,000 rods of hazel and three tonnes of wheat straw.

The re-created houses are closely based on the remains of Neolithic houses discovered during excavations in 2006 and 2007 at Durrington Walls, a large ceremonial earthwork enclosure, just over a mile to the north-east of Stonehenge. Radiocarbon dating showed that these buildings were built at around the same time as the large sarsen stones were being put up at Stonehenge, in approximately 2,500 BC. Experts believe the original occupants might have been involved with the construction of and celebrations at Stonehenge.

House interior

Pre-booked timed tickets are essential for group visits. A Stonehenge-only booking line – exclusively for GTOs and tour operators – is manned from 09.00 to 17.00 Mondays to Fridays. Normal national phone rates apply for calls to the booking line number, which is + 44 (0)870 333 0604. Provisional bookings can be made in advance, with confirmation (and payment for non account holders) due no later than 7 days before the visit. Advance booking is also required for individual visitors who can book online at www.english-heritage.org.uk/stonehenge.