Three life-size replica Stonehenge stones weighing over 90 tonnes have been rescued by All Cannings farmer Tim Daw for a new TV documentary.

Twenty years ago a life-size replica of the three largest stones at Stonehenge were made for a television documentary, Secrets of Lost Empires – Stonehenge.

The three stones weighing more than 90 tonnes and were moved and erected by hand, but since the programme they have been left in a field just outside of Larkhill, one mile from the monument.

Julian Richards, the original archaeologist behind the experiment, and Mr Daw, who is a steward at Stonehenge, have rescued them.

Mr Daw said: “I am always interested in doing mad things like this, so when Julian asked I thought ‘why not?’”

It is hoped the experiment to see how the stones of Stonehenge were moved and erected by ancient man will be repeated next summer for a television programme using updated knowledge of the times.

Mr Daw said: “There are a lot different theories about how the stones were moved so it will be intriguing to recreate them.”

The stones were delivered to Mr Daw’s Cannings Cross farm on Monday by a fleet of heavy haulage specialists, along with a 200 tonne crane, and will be stored near the Long Barrow.

After the TV show Mr Daw said he hopes to leave the stones standing permanently.

He said: “It would be a fantastic experience for people to see them up close as you can’t actually go up to the Stonehenge stones anymore.”

This is not the first time Mr Daw has worked on something archaeological, as in September of this year he opened the first Neolithic-style Long Barrow burial site in over 5,000 years, where people can store created human remains.