Stonehenge

The mystery of the origins of this prehistoric monument is what brings thousands of people from all over the world to Stonehenge. Tucked away in the countryside, these circular freestanding rocks have caused many people to tap their brains and question how in the world they got here. The rocks date from approximately 2200 BC but the surrounding earth bank and ditch date back to 3100 BC.

There are numerous theories regarding Stonehenge. Ranging from folklore saying that the Devil bought the stones from a lady in Ireland and brought them to the countryside. Another legend said that Merlin the Wizard (famous in Arthurian Tales) ordered the monuments removal from Ireland where it was built by the local giants who brought in the stones from Africa.

In order to access Stonehenge you must park across the street from it and cross the street via an underground tunnel. Across the street you’ll find a gift shop and a concession stand. There is an audio guide offered onsite but I didn’t grab a set of headphones. From what I was told it didn’t tell you anything most people didn’t already know about the monument. Today, you can no longer tough the rocks as there is wire fencing surrounding the monument. Instead, you are merely guided around the monument by a sidewalk that goes 360 degrees around this prehistoric masterpiece before dumping you out conveniently by the tunnel. This is partially because since the beginning of the 20th century many of these stones have started falling or were leaning on one another. It is suggested that this is due to the change in the weather and due to the increased numbers of curious tourists resting their bodies on the stones. Since then, the stones have been re-erected.

I found this to be a great pit stop on my way to Bath from London. Due to the wicked wind and the bone chilling weather I didn’t spend much time there. To be perfectly honest, I don’t think I would have stayed any longer had the weather been better. It was rather boring. They are literally just rocks standing upright. That’s it. They don’t dance, there isn’t dramatic music, there was no laser show or cavemen running around. I’m telling you this has to be the easiest way England is raking in the bucks. They don’t have to do anything. It’s odd to me that people pay to see rocks, but then again…I was suckered into paying to see it too. Go figure. After I snapped my “hey mom look at me I’m in Stonehenge” shots, I quickly vacated the area and went back out to the parking lot. The lot overlooked a pasture where there were sheep. It made for beautiful pictures and it was quite pretty. I waited here while the rest of my group tapped their heads and wondered how the rocks got there…I’ll just buy the wizard theory. It makes perfect sense that giants built this, I mean, who else could have hauled those stones?