Stonehenge to feature in new fiction novel and movie!

Last week I attended a talk by an internationally-renowned author at the majestic Salisbury Cathedral which is located just over an hours drive from Bath.

It was an appropriate setting as the cathedral, seen in my photo here, was one of the inspirations for the author's best-selling novel "Pillars of the Earth". The author, as many of you may know, is Ken Follett! I mention him and his book when I show guests around the cathedral so it was delight to see him in person at the cathedral.

On the 23rd September Ken Follett's new novel, "Circle of Days" will be released to the public. The fictional plot is based around one of England's most famous monuments: Stonehenge. I regularly takes guests on tours around Stonehenge so I thought it would be appropriate to hear what he had to say about his new book.

For those of you who are familiar with Ken Follett's books you will know that they typically feature several fictional characters whose lives intertwine. The stories takes place at interesting times in our history e.g. the medieval period, World Wars. His new book, Circle of Days, is based during the prehistoric period and more significantly - during the building of Stonehenge.

All of the attendees were given an extract from the book to give us a taste of what to expect and during the event Ken talked about the research he does for his books. His research normally involves visiting the places that feature in his books and employing experts on the subject matter to be his consultants and to proof-read his drafts to help make the historical context in his stories as accurate and realistic as possible. Sadly he did not contact me about Stonehenge (he must have had difficulty in tracking down my contact details...!) instead he employed two leading archaeologists who are experts on Stonehenge to assist him - Mike Pitts and Mike Parker-Pearson. He had an interesting theory on how they transported the stones which I will now share with guests on my tours. Sadly he did not hang around after the event so I couldn't ask him if there were any disagreements between him and the archaeologists on what he wrote! As a fan of some of his previous novels I am looking forward to reading Circle of Days. If you would like more information on the book you can check out Ken Follett's website by clicking here.

2025 appears to be the year for Stonehenge to shine in the limelight. Just under 3 weeks ago Stonehenge uncharacteristically closed in the afternoon for a number of days so that they could do some filming. In the mornings my guest and I could see the stage and props that were being set-up for this and celebrities were also spotted in the area.

Concert stage being set-up for filming (Stonehenge in the background)

The filming was for a concert connected to the movie Spinal Tap II. The film is a sequel to the 1984 cult film "This is Spinal Tap" which is based on a fictional heavy metal band and has a funny reference to Stonehenge! I once had a guest take off his top when we were by the stones at Stonehenge so that he could have his photo taken with his Spinal Tap t-shirt! Spinal Tap II is due to hit the cinemas in the UK on the 12th September. I am not sure how they will be using the footage shot a few weeks ago so I will be keeping my eyes peeled. Some of the staff at Stonehenge got to star as extras for the concert that was being filmed in front of Stonehenge (sadly the Casting Director must have had difficulty getting my contact details too...!)

Finally on the subject of movies and literature, between the 12th September and the 21st September visitors to Bath can expect to see numerous people roaming the streets in Regency costume. This is not for a film though - this is for the Jane Austen Festival!

Wishing you all a great week ahead, wherever you may be.