Undoubtedly you have seen photographs of the ancient stone circles that dominate certain fields in the English countryside. Perhaps you even studied them in school. But no photograph or television documentary can match the wonder and awe you will feel when standing next to these prehistoric structures built by Stone Age man, some 5000 years ago. To put it in perspective, the pyramids of Egypt were being built about the same time, a continent away.
Avebury, near Marlborough, is the largest stone circle in Europe and the oldest of the prehistoric monuments. The circular mound was originally surrounded by a nine metre deep ditch. Nearby, Silbury Hill is approximately 4,400 year old, the largest prehistoric mound in Europe. It is an astounding 30 metres high and 160 metres wide. Archaeologists have theories, but there is no definitive understanding of why it was created, even though it took millions of man hours (digging with deer antlers) to build. No evidence of a burial site has been found to date - a complete mystery. Stonehenge is the world famous, iconic structure dating from 4500 years ago, located about 30 miles to the south near Salisbury. Living near Stonehenge as a child, Richard grew to love these incredible structures and was lucky enough to be able to "hug" the stones before the circle was fenced off in 1977. He even saw the Midsummer sun rise over the hills and shine through the sarsen stones. There are many theories about the purpose of these structures in stone age culture: astronomical, religious, ceremonial or burial. |
Undoubtedly they were sacred to our ancestors, but even modern science can only offer hypotheses as to their origins and significance.
What we know for certain is that the large sarsen stones (20 tons) were dragged from Marlborough Downs, some 30 miles north of Stonehenge. The smaller bluestones were brought by sea, initially making their way 160 miles across Wales. To give you some perspective, imagine dragging an elephant a few feet, let alone hundreds of miles, up and down hills. It is also certain that Stonehenge was constructed to interact with the summer and winter solstices, the longest and shortest days of the year. Let your imagination run wild as you wander the sites and then come back to us with your own theories - yours may be as good as the experts! Our tour typically includes:
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Number of Passengers/ Pick-up Location |
1-4 |
5-6 |
7-8 |
Salisbury |
£320 |
£400 |
£450 |
Bath |
£340 |
£420 |
£470 |
Southampton |
£440 |
£510 |
£560 |
Heathrow |
£560 |
£640 |
£690 |
Central London |
£610 |
£690 |
£740 |
Telephone+447852721468
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