Stonehenge‘s cult status as a centre for pagan worship could be in doubt, thanks to a bloody minded Utah farmer and three old bangers. Rhett Davis, of Hooper, engineered the mechanical megalith to keep prying eyes away from his property – and to show his nosey neighbours he wasn’t afraid to make a mess of the landscape in the small, conservative community.
Rhett’s eureka moment came after neighbours refused to pay half the cost of a fence around his land, which would have shielded their eyes from the ‘horrors’ of flies and dust he kicked up at harvest time. So instead of backing down, Rhett dug three holes, cut three demolition derby-ruined cars in half and stuck them around his farm like smoke-filled sarsen stones. Rhett, who has been a farmer since childhood, insists the henge was built more out of humour than spite, but says it’s important to be able to take the rough with the smooth of being in a peaceful farming town.
He says, “This is just a fun way for me to say, ‘Hey boys, I’m still here,’ this is my redneck Stonehenge. I respect that they’re here and spent a lot on their homes, but on the other hand, give me a little bit, too. I’ve been here since I was 7 years old.” However Rhett doesn’t plan on leaving his henge for quite as long as Avebury’s famous monument: “I’ve talked to my neighbours and worked things out. I really just thought this would be a funny thing to do. These can come out just as easy as they went in.” Utah officials say they’re not expecting millions of new-age worshippers to pilgrimage to Hooper. Not until the summer solstice, at least.
Image by Lawrence Stevens.