Stonehenge

 

There aren't many places on Earth with a human story longer than that of Stonehenge. Its story continues to this day as we now try to interpret its historic meaning. Be part of the story by visiting this immense monument and journeying back into the brilliant minds of our Ancestors.

 

Fabulous in any weather but nothing quite competes with sunshine and mist

 

The ancient stone circle of Stonehenge seems to stand alone on the open, rolling landscape of Salisbury Plain. But closer inspection reveals that it stands at the heart of an enormous complex of prehistoric monuments. Stonehenge remained in use from Neolithic times (3000BC) through the Bronze Age, and seems to have been Western Europe’s most sacred temple until 1500BC. 

 

For many visitors at the solstice celebrations, Stonehenge has spiritual powers

 

Stonehenge is one of the must-see places on the planet.  It is the epitome of the prehistoric world of western Europe; mysterious, magical, awe-inspiring and humbling in equal measure.

 

Of course, today the monument is a ruin - thousands of years of Mother Nature has certainly taken its toll - but what remains is remarkable, a fascinating insight into the minds of Stone Age Man.

 

The visitor centre exhibits artefacts and human bones recovered from the complex

 

The latest archaelogical studies have revealed a lot about Stonehenge. And with more discoveries being drip-fed into the public domain on a regular basis, our complete understanding of the monument seems to be getting tantalisingly close.

 

The very latest discovery expands our knowledge of the origin of Stonehenge. It has been known for a long time that the monument's smallest stones - the bluestones weighing only 2 or 3 tonnes! - had been brought 300km from the Preseli Hills in west Wales from where they were quarried. 

The stones were dragged to Stonehenge from afar... try your hand at dragging a stone at the Visitor Centre. Good luck!

 

But there is now verifiable evidence that these stones had formed their own stone circle near to the Preseli Hills. Clearly of great spiritual significance to the monument builders of the time, they were uprooted from Wales, transported to Salisbury Plain and re-erected as the original stones of a new circle that today we refer to as Stonehenge.

 

Centuries later, the bluestones were rearranged and the circle enlarged with huge 'sarsen' stones weighing up to 50 tonnes that were transported from the Marlborough Downs near Avebury about 40km away. 

 

The bluestones are the smallest standing stones inside the circle to the left, the sarsens are the larger standing stones and the horizontal lintels

 

The iconic outer circle at Stonehenge consists of tall, vertical sarsen stones topped with horizontal sarsen lintels to create a series of doorways. The outer circle encloses the smaller bluestones which are arranged in a horseshoe shape and aligned with the midsummer rising and midwinter setting of the sun. The Altar Stone at the heart of the monument is lit by the sun's rays for a few minutes each year at sunrise on midsummer’s day. 

 

Midwinter sunrise observed by thousands of revellers, us included!

 

There has been much debate about the meaning of the site. It is believed to have had many purposes: as a graveyard to the Ancestors without doubt, but also as an open-sky temple dedicated to the worship of the Earth Mother, a tool to track the seasonal movements of the sun and moon to map out the agricultural calendar; a temple of healing perhaps...

 

But new excavations nearby have revealed the remains of many circles similar to Stonehenge but made from wood, a Neolithic village with as many as 1000 houses, and a previously unknown avenue connecting the village to the River Avon that flows nearby.

 

These discoveries have provoked a grander explanation – the spiritual land of Salisbury Plain was divided into the Land of The Living (where the village is located) and the Land of The Dead (at the centre of which is Stonehenge) connected by a processional route along the River Avon to represent the journey from life to death.

 

Rituals today include music and chanting.. solstice is not to be missed.

 

More recent studies using revolutionary new technology have revealed even more remarkable finds and each year studies within the Stonehenge complex are revealing a 'ritual landscape' that was far more extensive than anyone ever imagined. 

 

How to get to Stonehenge from Cambridge?

 

We run several different tours to Stonehenge throughout the year. For those deeply interested in Prehistoric Britain, look no further than our Stonehenge & Avebury day tour from Cambridge.

 

If you would prefer a less in-depth look and combine it with a visit to one of the UK's most beautiful cities our Bath & Stonehenge day tour from Cambridge might be best suited to you.

 

Alternatively, twice a year we follow in the footsteps of our ancestors to witness sunrise at the monument, both at midsummer and midwinter.

Midsummer Solstice day tour to Stonehenge & Avebury from Cambridge

Midwinter Solstice day tour to Stonehenge & Avebury from Cambridge