EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT VISITING STONEHENGE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE
Stonehenge is one of the most famous archaeological sites in the United Kingdom and it had been on my bucket list for a long time, until I organized a trip to south of England. Besides the location that is the subject of this article, I managed to visit several places, including Biburyhttps://www.taniatravelstories.com/en/post/bibury-one-of-the-most-picturesque-villages-in-england, Tintagel Castle, Bath and many others.
In this article you will find all the necessary information about Stonehenge, starting from those related to transport, day trips from London, visiting the location, accommodation units, to those related to the archaeological discoveries, including the connection with the archaeological site from Sarmisegetusa Regia, Romania.
HOW TO GET TO STONEHENGE FROM LONDON:
By public transport:
To get to Stonehenge, there are several options, by train. All departures are from the South Western Railway station. The one that seems most accessible to me is by train from South Western Railway, Waterloo station to Andover station, and from there the Activ 8 bus to Library Amesbury, 64 stops. The whole journey takes 2h, 30 minutes;
Another train route is from Waterloo station to Salisbury, and from there the ST bus (Stonehenge Tour);
By rented car:
An easier way to get to Stonehenge is by renting a car. I recommend to pick up the car directly from the airport. This way, you do not have to take transfers from the airport and you will have more flexibility regarding the locations visited, but also regarding the time. To find the best deals on cars, I recommend search engines such as Skyscanner, which compare prices from several companies.
By organized trips:
When the car rental and public transport options do not suit you, there is always the third option, that of organized excursions. You have the option to visit only Stenehenge, or to combine the visit with other locations such as Windsor, Windsor+Oxford, or Windsor+Bath.
VISITING THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE:
Because visiting this place takes around an hour, maybe two, I visited two other tourist attractions in the same day. In the morning we explored the city of Bath (it is not very big, and had enough time) and at two in the afternoon we arrived at Stonehenge, then we headed to the gorgeous Durdle Door beach, where we admired the sunset. The last stop was to check in at The Lugger Inn.
The visiting hours are between 9:30-17:00 in the winter and until 19:00 in the summer. The ticket price is £23.60, and if you are a member of English Heritage, you have free access. Tickets can be purchased both online and on site and there is no need to book the visit in advance. Last entry is allowed two hours before closing time.
From the ticket office to the archaeological site, it is a walking distance of approximately 30 minutes. There are also buses that run regularly and that you can use at no additional cost.
ABOUT STONEHENGE:
The stones of Stonehenge continue to remain a mystery that fascinates researchers, being an enigmatic symbol of our distant past and a testament to the complexity of ancient civilizations. Although numerous studies and theories attempt to explain the purpose and manner of construction of this site, its precise origins and profound significance still elude us, suggesting that there are missing links in the understanding of human evolution. Stonehenge thus becomes a point of reflection on the knowledge we have lost over time and on the ability of ancient man to create structures of a precision and grandeur that is hard to match even today.
It is believed that the complex was built in the Neolithic, around the year 3000 BC, and the way in which the stones were moved and arranged still remains a mystery. Some of them have similar characteristics to those from the town of Marlborough, which is 25 km away, and another part of them is believed to have been brought from 250 km away, from Wales.
In Wales, the remains of a similar monument were discovered, which was dismantled and rebuilt in England, a few centuries later, both constructions having a diameter of 100 m and being positioned in the direction from which the sun rises during the summer solstice.
A student from the University of Bristol, named Brian Edwards, discovered after some studies for his doctoral thesis, that the megalithic structure at Stonehenge is actually a reconstruction of the archaeologist Alexander Keiller. However, archaeological evidence proves that Stonehenge is, in fact, a megalithic computer that was built in stages over several hundred years. Other sources, including the official one, presented to tourists, is that it would be a temple dedicated to the gods.
Archaeo-astronomical studies have revealed that the imposing structures of Stonehenge were designed with amazing precision to indicate key times of the agricultural year, such as the summer and winter solstices, when the Sun rises and sets in perfect alignment with certain stones . These observations suggest that the site was not only a ritual space, but also a solar calendar, used to organize the agricultural and social activities of the community. In addition, Stonehenge is believed to have had the ability to mark other important cosmic phenomena such as solar and lunar eclipses, denoting advanced astronomical knowledge and a deep connection of that civilization with the sky and the cycles of nature. Thus, Stonehenge becomes more than just a stone monument, representing an impressive example of how ancient people managed to interpret and integrate natural phenomena into their everyday lives.
Near the stone complex at Stonehenge, the ruins of some small buildings were also discovered, which would have represented the homes of people from the year 2500 BC. These homes would have resembled the ones in the photo below.
THE CONNECTION BETWEEN STONEHENGE AND SARMISEGETUSA REGIA, ROMANIA
Until now, 20 alignments have been identified, with an astronomical character, such as the one at Stonehenge. One of these is in Sarmisegetusa, which, to the surprise of archaeologists, is not so well known, although it is much more complete and represents one of the most sensational structures of this type.
According to the Spanish archaeologist, Tomas Martinez Rodriguez, Sarmisegetusa would be one of the greatest mysteries of mankind, because it was built in such a way that two of the circles of the complex would have been impossible to build without advanced technological help. One of the circles calculates the number of days required for a star to rotate around Sirius, and the second calculates the number of days required for Pluto's revolution. Both Sirius and Pluto could not be seen by the human eye until the 20th century, when the telescope was invented.
So the fundamental question remains: How did humans a few thousand years ago manage to observe and understand cosmic phenomena with an accuracy that today requires sophisticated instruments like telescopes? A possible explanation could be the constant and careful observation of the sky over several generations, combined with a rigorous transmission of accumulated knowledge. Without the light pollution that plagues our night skies today, humans back then had access to an unobstructed cosmic spectacle, which would have allowed them to carefully track and document the movements of the stars. Also, this knowledge could have been supplemented by a sensitivity and intuition developed in their direct relationship with nature and its rhythms.
Ultimately, this ability to perceive precise details of celestial movements remains a partial mystery, suggesting that ancient humans possessed not only a primitive empirical science, but also a way of thinking and observing that combined cognition, intuition, and spirituality, things that continue to it inspires and intrigues us even in the age of modern technology.
WHERE TO STAY NEAR STONEHENGE:
From the accommodation units available on Booking, the ones that caught my attention are:
Salt Lane Apartments - apartment type accommodation unit with one bedroom, living room and own kitchen. It is located in Salisbury and is pet friendly;
The Old Rectory B&B - accommodation unit, which has single or double rooms. It is located in Salisbury, and parking and internet are included in the price of the reservation;
Prestbury Bed & Breakfast - accommodation unit, which has double rooms, with a shower cabin or bathtub. It is located in Salisbry, has room service, and parking and internet are included in the price of the reservation.
CONCLUSIONS ABOUT THE VISIT TO STONEHENGE:
From my point of view, Stonehenge is one of the places in Great Britain that you should not miss, if you are passionate about history. Personally, I did not have high expectations, I knew that the site is not something impressive and after visiting the archaeological site of Pompeii, I thought that nothing else can surpass that place. However, the location delighted me more than I expected, and now I can only recommend visiting it.
Read also about other locations in Great Britain: London, York, Edinburgh or about 3 locations in Wales.
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