Stonehenge

Stonehenge
Type:	Prehistoric site
Location:	Wiltshire
First mentioned in:	The Time Meddler
First appearance:	Smash Hit
Appearances:	see list
Memorable moment
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Stonehenge was an assemblage of giant stones erected in Wiltshire during the 2nd Millennium BC. (PROSE: Revenants) By the early 21st century, it was one of the most famous prehistoric sites in the world. (PROSE: A History of Humankind) Guinevere Winchester described it as "Britain's favourite old ruin", after Barbara Cartland. According to one incarnation of the Doctor, Stonehenge was a "child's construction kit", compared to the Gates of Martontigan. (PROSE: Revenants)

By the early 21st century, there was some debate about the purpose of Stonehenge, and also about how the stones were originally transported and erected on the site. A textbook from Coal Hill School Library theorised that it may have been constructed as an observatory or religious site. (PROSE: A History of Humankind) The Monk claimed to have assisted in its construction with an anti-gravitational lift. (TV: The Time Meddler) John Brent had a theory that Stonehenge was in reality an ancient spaceport, (PROSE: Time and Relative) while Jenny Nettles claimed it was a massive radio in one of her reports. (AUDIO: Kaleidoscope) In fact, they wasn't too far off from the truth — Stonehenge served as the burial site and hiding place of the Pandorica, an ancient box used by the Pandorica Alliance to trap the Eleventh Doctor. They used the shape itself of the rocks as a huge transmitter to send over the members of the Alliance should the Doctor come to call. (TV: The Pandorica Opens)

History

Creation

A strange coloured standing "stone" appeared in an empty field, lined up with the rising sun, on Salisbury Plain for a few moments before disappearing. This began happening again and again, annually every year, and the natives began to see it as a sign from the heavens. In tribute of the stone, they began to bring massive stones to the field and assemble them into a circular configuration around the spot where the stone appeared over the next two thousand years. (PROSE: The Secret of the Stones)

During this time, the Eighth Doctor and Sam Jones visited and witnessed the construction, (PROSE: The People's Temple) and the Monk allegedly used an anti-gravity lift to assist in the completion of the complex. (TV: "Checkmate")

The "stone" eventually stopped making annual appearances. This was due to the "stone", in actuality the Doctor's TARDIS, ending its course of annual landings to create a "snapshot" history of Stonehenge's construction so the Tenth Doctor and Martha Jones could determine how and why it was built. Following this, a final standing stone was erected in the TARDIS's place. Ironically, the Doctor had avoided materialising normally in an attempt to not interfere with Stonehenge's creation. (PROSE: The Secret of the Stones)

At some point during or after its completion, the Pandorica Alliance placed the Pandorica beneath Stonehenge for the Eleventh Doctor to find. The pillars beneath Stonehenge began to act as a transmitter for the members of the Alliance to converge on it in 102. The transmission was sent to everyone and to all time zones, resulting in Vincent van Gogh having visions of the opening of the Pandorica. The Alliance assigned Cybermen to guard the location. (TV: The Pandorica Opens) All of this turned the "Underhenge" into a space-time Waypoint. It was visited by the Twelfth Doctor and a future version of Clara Oswald to collect vortex energy. They were attacked by two Cybermen, but managed to escape, after which Clara returned to her and Me's TARDIS. (GAME: Lost in Time)

The Pandorica opens

Main article: Total Collapse Event Incident

During the times of the druids, Cybermen were believed to have been guarding the Pandorica underneath Stonehenge. Parts of Cybermen such as arms and heads lay on the ground around the area. The Doctor believed they had been "dusted up by the locals". The Eleventh Doctor and Amy Pond arrived in the area near Stonehenge in 102 after finding coordinates for the time and place from River Song on Planet One. Reuniting with River, they travelled to Stonehenge by horse and examined it, discovering a secret passage under one of the stones leading to the Pandorica's underground chamber, shortly before the Alliance arrived in orbit around the Earth, headed for Stonehenge.

To prepare, River summoned Rory and the "Romans" to Stonehenge to back them up for battle against the Alliance, while Doctor managed to delay their landing briefly, standing in the middle of Stonehenge with the Alliance ships' spotlights drawn on him while addressing them with a communicator, by threatening them with his reputation, which sent the ships retreating. After sending River off to retrieve the TARDIS, the Doctor pieced together the Romans' status as Autons shortly before a signal from the Pandorica directed them to capture him. The Alliance returned and landed, forcing and locking him inside the Pandorica in their attempt to stop the universe's destruction. Moments afterwards, the TARDIS's destruction destroyed the entire universe aside from Earth, (TV: The Pandorica Opens) turning the Alliance members to stone in the process.

Immediately following the destruction, Rory was able to free the Doctor with help from the latter's future self and put Amy (who Rory had unwillingly shot with his Auton wrist-gun) into the Pandorica to recover. Wanting to make sure she was safe for the 1900 years necessary, Rory remained at Stonehenge as the Doctor used River's vortex manipulator to skip to the future, and moved the Pandorica out of Stonehendge at an unknown point in time. A stone Dalek was also retrieved from Stonehenge and eventually placed in the National Museum with the Pandorica, where its reopening by the younger Ameila Pond would reactivate it. (TV: The Big Bang)

20th century

The Third Doctor and the Brigadier at Stonehenge in the 1970s. (COMIC: Smash Hit)

In either November or December 1967, one of the stones of the monument had "a circular symbol with an 'R' in it" — the symbol of the Revolution Man — carved into it over night. (PROSE: Revolution Man)

During the 1970s, the Ragman was defeated at Stonehenge. (PROSE: Rags)

In 1976, UNIT fought Vardans at Stonehenge, where the Seventh Doctor was captured by the Monk. (PROSE: No Future)

Jenny Nettles once reported that Stonehenge was a giant radio. Sarah Jane Smith used this as an example of Jenny's disregard for facts despite being a journalist. (AUDIO: Kaleidoscope)

During the 20th century Donna Noble visited Stonehenge on a schooltrip. She didn't learn much that day. She scoffed her packed lunch on the coach and spent the whole day being sick. After this she never touched a crab paste again. (COMIC: The Giant's Ring)

21st century

During the first seconds of 1 January 2000, Stonehenge, along with the rest of the world, was nearly destroyed by the Eye of Harmony. (TV: Doctor Who)

Stonehenge was among the Earth cultural items the Threshold had stolen and taken to the town of Wormwood on the Moon. (COMIC: Wormwood)

Other information

Stonehenge was near the location of an opening to the Yssgaroth's universe. (PROSE: The Pit)

Sometime in the future, or possibly the past, Iris Wildthyme and Panda helped out with the excavation of Stonehenge, where they found an ancient gift shop underneath. (PROSE: Iris Wildthyme and the Unholy Ghost)

Behind the scenes

Information from invalid sources

• Though another account claimed the Seventh Doctor had built the structure to use it to send a message. (PROSE: What If?)

Other

• For The Pandorica Opens, the Doctor Who team went to Stonehenge to get the scenes in and around the landmark. (CON: Alien Abduction)