I arrived at Victoria Coach Station in London around 7:30 am. I had booked a ticket on the Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and Oxford Day Trip with the Evan Evans Tour company departing at 8 o’clock. This was my second weekend in London on what would be a three-week trip and I was determined to see as much of the UK as quickly as possible. This tour allowed me to see some of the greatest hits in one day. Exactly what I wanted.
So, there I was—a hot coffee and a printed ticket in hand—ready to go. It took me a minute to figure out what gate my tour was departing from, but after looking at the time boards and asking around I found my door, boarded the coach and we were off.
Stonehenge was our second stop. We arrived around noon and, while the sun was obscured by a myriad of clouds, the day was bright. We debarked our coach in a car park about a mile away from Stonehenge, next to the visitor center. Then boarded a smaller bus that took us up to the rocks.
I walked up the plains that lead to the circle briskly, eager to see the famous structure. My architecture and history Spidey senses on fire.
Sheep flanked the long walkway leading to the stone circle known as The Avenue. They ate away at the pasture without paying any attention to the hundreds of people passing by them.
And there it was. A series of massive stones lined together like a house of cards. Even from a distance I could feel the heavy weight that gave them stability.
The walkway continued in a loop around the stones leading seamlessly back to where I had come from. I had the option to do a few loops around but as I was strapped for time, ended up doing only one full circle. I turned on my little tour radio and pressed the numbers marked on different posts to hear about the history. I moved slowly, taking in every angle. The brisk walk that had taken me there now transformed to a crawl.
It’s hard to imagine that these stones where put in place 2500 before Christ. For hundreds of years, people believe it was Merlin who had built the iconic circle. Some even believe Aliens had something to do with the building. Considering the stones can weight almost 30 tons, it’s easy to see why the building has become such a source of interest throughout the ages. However, while scientists and researchers aren’t entirely sure how the stones were transported, a more accepted theory is that they were brought through water networks and moved around on wooden rollers.
There are two types of stones, sarsen stones and bluestones. The term ‘bluestone’ actually represents over 20 different types of smaller rocks found in a concentric circle within the larger sarsen stone circle.
But this is not the only structure found on the site. Before Stonehenge came to be in the Neolithic period, this was already an important place for a previous civilization. The earliest structures found on the site date from 8000 to 7000 BC, during the Mesolithic period, and it is still unknown whether these are related to Stonehenge.
The purpose of Stonehenge is still shrouded in mystery. But in recent years, archeologists have found this was a spiritual burial site.
Another fascinating fact is the way the stones are positioned. The structure was built so that the Heel stone aligns perfectly with the sunrise during the summer solstice and with the sunset during the winter solstice. At those times the light shines through to the middle of the circle. Today, thousands of people visit Stonehenge during the solstice to experience the mesmerizing event.
As I concluded my loop around the impressive stone circle, I couldn’t help but continue to look back over my shoulder stealing a few last looks as the sheep continued to graze and stare at the visitors without a care in the world.
Useful Information:
I bought my ticket on the Evan Evans Tours through Viator.com. They are a good option to book local tours when you don’t know much about your location. (Not sponsored.) But you can also rent a car and drive directly there and take it all in on your own time.
Hours:
Open Tuesday – Sunday
9:30am – 5pm (Last entry 2 hours before closing.)
Entry:
Adults: £19.00
Children 5-17: £11.40
Family (2 adults, up to 3 children): £49.90
Websites:
www.english-heritage.org.uk
https://evanevanstours.com/
