Further Back in Time

Stonehenge is an ancient monument which has worldwide renown. It sits on the hills outside Salisbury known as Salisbury Plain. I have visited this World Heritage Site many times over the years. I am lucky enough to have been able to walk right up to the stones and touch them. These days the visitors have to stay behind the ropes. Both the girls have grown up a bit since our last visit seen here below.

 We used to frequently pass Stonehenge when visiting relatives and on my travels back and forth from college and it was always looked smaller every time you see it. It was also a good comfort stop being about halfway there and having a good size car park. These days you can't do that.

The road passing directly past Stonehenge has been closed although you can still spot it from the A303. The car park has now been moved up the road away from the historically sensitive area and is situated with a brand new visitor centre. A bus service then conveys visitors on down to the site.

 On our trip back from Old Sarum we were in need of a cup of tea. The farmer had already bemoaned the fact that Old Sarum didn't have a tea rooms and that being after 4pm most tea shops would be closed. The truth is the farmer was hoping for a cream tea... So we decided to stop at Stonehenge visitor centre which stays open until 8pm. A cup of tea was achieved and a very tasty signature rock cake as well. There were only a few moans at the absence of the cream tea and the cardboard cup from the farmer!

Before continuing home we had a quick wander around the visitor centre where there is a collection  of replica Neolithic houses giving an idea of how people would have been living 4500 years ago.

I was amused to see that I had inadvertently caught something more modern in the background. The English Heritage bus transporting visitors to Stonehenge.

Another exhibit is a model of one of the stones being transported to Stonehenge.

Although it may look authentic it is only made of fibreglass or something equally hollow.

There was no time to stop and visit the stones themselves but we were quite amazed to see that the admission price is £17. It certainly wasn't putting the throngs of visitors off. In reality we would be able to visit for free as National Trust members. No doubt we will be coming this way again one day soon when we have more visitors. It is indeed a must to see if you go that way.