Smithsonian Channel

The following is the first in a series of entries written by David Royle, executive vice president for programming and production at Smithsonian Channel. He was on location at Stonehenge this past March to witness the first excavation of this historic site since 1964 . Please note that his entries were written months prior and do no reflect events that occur in the present time.
For information on the dig that took place earlier this year, check out the documentary, Stonehenge Deciphered (premieres 9/27 at 9:00 PM EST) or read up on it at the Smithsonian Channel website.

Stonehenge. Its name alone evokes a sense of mystery and grandeur. When I tell people that I’m heading for Stonehenge, they are immediately drawn in, their curiosity provoked. It’s estimated that every year around a million people visit the ancient site. They come from all over the world, drawn to this group of massive stones that stands sentinel over the English landscape.

But I have an admission to make. Although I grew up in England, just a couple of hours drive from Stonehenge, I’ve never been there before. Why? Well, I suppose it’s like New Yorkers who never visit the Statue of Liberty. Or my family who live in Washington DC and have never climbed the Washington Monument (also known by my son Richard as “The Washington Rocket”; a confusion probably created by the shocking lack of a site visit. If only he’d seen the elevator inside he’d know it couldn’t possibly be a rocket). It’s just human nature for us to take what’s around us for granted and think it will always be there to experience on another day. Sometimes, we’re mistaken. But in the case of Stonehenge there’s never seemed a need to hurry. After all, it’s been there for over 4,000 years.