Stonehenge Is Getting a Facelift for the First Time in 60 Years
It's been a while since officials have fixed up this wonder of the world.
For the first time in more than six decades, Stonehenge is getting a little TLC. The world famous monument won't be getting a new look, but will be getting a few imperfections touched up to ensure viewers can enjoy it for a while longer.
According to a repot by the UK's Evening Standard, laser scans found that erosion had done a number on the lintel stones, joints, and the concrete mortar that help hold them in place. English Heritage has launched a conservation plan that it hopes will prevent erosion from continuing and prevent any further damage to the stones themselves. It will also repair old patch jobs, which were last done in the 1950s and 1960s. In other words, this work was long overdue.
English Heritage has called upon Strachey Conservation's specialist conservators to complete the work. Apparently, polishing up an ancient structure doesn't take tons of time. The work is expected to be done in about two weeks.
"Stonehenge is unique among stone circles by virtue of its lintels and the special joints used to secure the lintels in place," Heather Sebire, English Heritage's senior curator for Stonehenge, told the news outlet. "Four-and-a-half-thousand years of being buffeted by wind and rain has created cracks and holes in the surface of the stone and this vital work will protect the features which make Stonehenge so distinctive."
The newspaper reported that the people doing the repair work will use scaffolding to access the tops of the stones and remove old mortar. Joints will be repacked with lime mortar to prevent erosion from worsening in the lintels and joints.
Visitors will still be able to go visit Stonehenge, they'll just get to see the conservation effort in action. Consider it an added bonus to your trip.