Overview
- English Heritage publicly unveiled the Kusuma Neolithic Hall in late May, a seven-metre-high reconstruction funded by the Kusuma Trust at about £1 million and due to open to visitors this summer.
- More than 100 volunteers guided by experimental archaeologist Luke Winter built the hall over roughly nine months using period tools and materials such as coppiced timber, thatch, and chalk daub to test Neolithic construction techniques.
- The design draws on archaeological evidence from Durrington Walls, including Grooved Ware pottery and thousands of animal bones, but researchers say the original building’s exact purpose remains uncertain.
- From autumn the hall will operate mainly as an immersive educational space for school groups where students can gather around a hearth, handle replica tools, and try Neolithic crafts and cookery.
- The project is the first phase of a wider English Heritage learning expansion at Stonehenge with a larger Learning Centre planned for late 2026 to increase school visits and learning facilities.