Stonehenge
Stonehenge is an ancient stone circle in Wiltshire which has become a major tourist attraction
Definition
A henge is a structural garden ornament, often used to break-up a larger space, and create shade and support for climbing plants. A henge can be made of many materials;
- Stone
- Wood (pergola)
- uPVC (conservatory)
- Brick (outside toilet)
- Stretchy plastic and metal (trampoline)
Most homes in Britain feature a henge as part of their garden design
Origin of the Henge
The word Henge is from the old English word 'Hinge' meaning; a thing like a henge, but better for allowing doors to swing. In olden times, a henge was a simple wooden post - often a fallen log stood up on-end. In parts of Leictershire where education is sparse and inbreeding common, locals call the place they go to to buy their TV licenses a 'Henge-Office' rather than Post Office, and deposit letters in a 'Henge-box'.
Purpose of Henges
It is a myth that ancient henges were ceremonial, or used as an astronomical calendar. For one thing, those spiral-wire things that calendars use were invented in 1982 - before then calendars would have been simply impossible to construct. Woodhenge was one of the first shopping malls in the UK. It had a thatched roof, parking for up to 20 oxen carts, and featured Norbert-of-Cantebury's Root Vegetable World as the flagship store.
History of Stonehenge
The monument known as 'Stonehenge' was built in 1869 by a firm of Henge-erectors called 'Dumbleton's Henges of Distinction' as a show-piece for their range of henges, along side the A303.
