The Man Who Went Shopping For Dining Chairs and Accidentally Bought Stonehenge.
On September 21, 1915, a British barrister named Cecil Chubb was given a very simple task by his wife, Mary. She sent him to a local auction in Salisbury with strict instructions: buy a nice set of dining chairs for their home.
But as Chubb sat in the auction house, he got distracted. "Lot 15" came up for sale, a 30-acre plot of land featuring a crumbling, dilapidated ring of ancient rocks.
@VisionaryVoid
Three years later, tired of his wife’s complaints and realizing the immense historical weight of his impulse purchase, Chubb donated the entire monument to the British government.
He attached one strict condition: the public must always have access to it. Today, it stands protected forever, all because a husband couldn't stick to a shopping list. #globalmuseum
The public must always have access? How's that going?
I've only been once. Couldn't get near.
@OneInterestingFact @globalmuseum yeah it's very expensive. Better to look from the road at a distance. Only the 'druids' get access around the solstice, really.
But also, millions of people touching it over decades would mess it up.
@noodlemaz @OneInterestingFact @globalmuseum
You can book to go inside the Stonehenge circle. It's very, very popular so you need to book will in advance.
https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehenge/things-to-do/stone-circle-access-visits/
Global Museum
Eliza MB
Marianne
groff 🇺🇦