On September 21st 1915 Cecil Chubb bought Stonehenge in a property auction for £6,600.

"Lot 15. Stonehenge with about 30 acres, 2 rods, 37 perches of adjoining downland"

Chubb remained Stonehenge's owner for three years and then, on 26 October 1918, he formally gave it to the nation three years later. Today, Stonehenge is still owned by the Crown and now managed by English Heritage.

Stonehenge

The prehistoric monument is located in the English county of Wiltshire, about 3.2 kilometres (2.0 mi) west of Amesbury and 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) north of Salisbury.

What is Stonehenge?

Stonehenge is one of Europe's biggest stone circles. The earliest part of Stonehenge, the inner circle, is nearly 5,000 years old and many of the stones are ten or twelve metres high.

The stones used in the inner circle are believed to be from the Prescelly Mountains, located roughly 240 miles away, at the southwestern tip of Wales. The bluestones weigh up to 4 tons each and about 80 stones were used, in all.

The giant sarsen stones (which form the outer circle), weigh as much as 50 tons each and are believed to have come from the Marlborough Downs, roughly 20 miles to the north of stonehenge.

It is thought that the Druids used Stonehenge for a calendar.

Who are/were Druids?

The Druids were the priests in Britain 2,000 years ago. They used the sun and the stones at Stonehenge to know the start of the months and seasons. There are Druids in Britain today too.

What happens at Stonehenge on June 21st?
- the Longest Day of the Year

Every June 21st hundreds of people go to Stonehenge to watch the sun rise. The sun shines on one famous stone - the Heel stone. For the Druids this is a very important moment of the year.

Find out more about solstices