Stonehenge for the Easter Break

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Stonehenge is a fantastic place that I love to visit each year by coach (see here Newmarket Holidays Wikipedia page) I want to share with you just what I feel this stalwart of UK heritage has to offer.

The author of Historia Regum Britanniae, Geoffrey of Monmouth, wrote a story attributing the construction of Stonehenge to the great wizard Merlin. According to the story, the huge rocks called Giant’s dance have healing properties and were brought by Giants from Africa and taken to Ireland.

During the fifth century, the king sent Uther Pendragon and 15,000 knights to get it from Ireland so he could erect a memorial for 3,000 nobles who had been slain during battle. The knights tried to move the stones but failed, after which Merlin used his skill to dismantle them and sent them to Britain. The story goes on to state that the king, Ambrosius aurelius, Uther pendragon and Constatine III were buried in the ‘Giants ring of Stonehenge’

Little is known about the construction techniques that the builders employed to create Stonehenge. Due to the size of the stones, most people believe the stones were brought here through Supernatural methods but conventional techniques such as shear legs used during the Neolithic period have been proven to work.

When it was first opened, the site was completely opened to the public but due to erosion and graffiti it was closed off. Now, visitors cannot touch the stones but can walk around the monument and view them from a short distance away. I brought a great place near by you can learn more for here.

The Stonehenge Gallery

Other than visiting Stonehenge you have to take a trip to the Salisbury Museum and view the Stonehenge gallery. The display includes the history of Salisbury, the Saxons, Romans, pottery, porcelain and Wedgewood in 17^th century rooms.

Bath

On the slopes of the River Avon is the first sight to be designated a UNESCO world heritage site. The Georgian architecture of the gorgeous 15^th century bath abbey is a sight that you won’t forget.

The famous Roman baths that gave the city their name are also a must see. The complex has been preserved and water from Britain’s only hot spring flows through. As dusk falls, you can watch a dazzling torch lighting ceremony.

There are other monuments in the immediate area of Stonehenge such as the West Kennet Long Barrow and the artificial mound of Silbury Hill as well as an ancient tomb.

Avebury

17 miles away from Stonehenge lies another stone monument. It is much larger than Stonehenge and was built at roughly the same time. When the locals found religion, they decided to get rid of the monument and knocked over a number of stones, before one fell on one of the vandals. Modern archaeologists dug up one of the fallen stones and found a man’s skeleton and some 14^th century coins.

Your first glimpse of Stonehenge, which rises up against the skyline on Salisbury plain, is guaranteed to be unforgettable. The River Aven connects to Stonehenge through an “avenue” and the nearby settlement of Durrington walls shows that the locals marked the winter solstice was marked here. Burials at Stonehenge took place from when it began up to about 5,000 years ago.



The theories surrounding the intention of Stonehenge are numerous; Was it a religious temple or is it a burial ground? Maybe it’s just a clock. This landmark has stumped people for thousands of years.

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