Inigo Jones on Stonehenge: Architectural Representation, Memory and Narrative

In the autumn of 1620, King James I (1566-1625) stayed at Wilton with the Earl of Pembroke. During his stay, he sent his court architect Inigo Jones (1573-1652) to the nearby prehistoric ruins of Stonehenge, with the aim of demonstrating that these were the remains of a temple built by the Romans during their occupation of England. His visit resulted in a description, measurements and drawings of Stonehenge as Jones had found it, and a reconstruction on paper. In doing so, he produced the first monographic study of a building constructed on English soil. Jones refused to believe that the Druids could have been responsible for such a monument; he identified Stonehenge as a Roman structure and ‘restored’ it on paper. This book is a facsimile of his findings.