Introduction
More than 3,000 years after Stonehenge fell out of use, the popularity of the site and its significance to our human history are as strong as ever. Here are some of the key facts about Stonehenge today.
Above: Stonehenge Visitors Centre.
1918 – the year Stonehenge was given to the nation.
1986 – the year in which UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) added Stonehenge and its surroundings to the list of World Heritage Sites, co-listing Stonehenge, Avebury and their associated sites.
Stonehenge is the most architecturally sophisticated prehistoric stone circle in the world. – UNESCO
1,007 – the number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites worldwide; 779 classified as cultural, 197 natural, and 31 mixed properties (June 2015).
28 – the number of World Heritage Sites in the UK (June 2015), including the City of Bath, Tower of London, and the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh.
800 ha – the area covered by the Stonehenge World Heritage Site, in hectares. It is owned and cared for by the National Trust.
4,985 ha – the combined size of the Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site, in hectares.
18 December 2013 – the date the new purpose-built Stonehenge Visitor Centre opened.
£27m – the cost of building the new visitor centre.
250 – the number of prehistoric objects exhibited at the centre.
1,000,000+ – the number of visitors Stonehenge receives each year.
Read More
Read more about the stones and read a comprehensive history of Stonehenge.