salisbury guided tours

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July 28, 2012

Stonehenge and Prehistoric Wessex Archaeological Walking Tour.

Posted by StonehengeNews under Archaeological tour, Avebury Stone Circle, Durrington Walls, Prehistoric Wessex, salisbury guided tours, Silbury Hill, Stonehenge Cursus, Stonehenge walking tour, West Kennet Long Barrow, World Heritage
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We are proud to offer our new Stonehenge Tour including two World Heritage Sites. This exclusive walking tour covers 5km and allows our archaeologist guide to introduce you intimately to the World Heritage Landscapes of Stonehenge and Avebury.
The most spectacular walk is accessible only on foot. A walking tour through some of the most magnificent scenery in England. – Lunch is included at a beautiful English country pub.

Walking Stonehenge and Prehistoric Wessex introduces our guests to some of the most imposing and mysterious ancient monuments in the world, certainly within the United Kingdom. These sites coupled with the beautiful Wiltshire countryside offer the participants of this walking tour a special and unique experience.
The tour is split between two World Heritage Landscapes. In the morning Stonehenge, situated within the most concentrated prehistoric landscape in the world is explored, as we walk the ancient processional way of the Stonehenge Cursus, explore Bronze Age burial mounds and visit the possible site of the Stonehenge builders village.
We finish our morning walking along the Stonehenge Avenue, following the ritualised path laid down over 4000 years ago, concluding with a guided tour around Stonehenge itself.
The Afternoon introduces Avebury with the largest stone circle, largest man-made hill and most impressive prehistoric burial chamber.
We also enjoy an English country pub lunch, once used as a scene in Dickens’ The Pickwick Papers

Walking Stonehenge and Prehistoric Wessex is the unique opportunity to explore these famous sites in a well-paced and relaxed manor, enjoying the expertise of our archaeologist guides.

TOUR ITINERARY:
The morning starts with a visit to Durrington Walls and Woodhenge, home to the ‘Stonehenge Builder’s’ village and the most convincing evidence for human sacrifice. We then travel a short distance to Stonehenge. We enjoy a leisurely paced walk through the landscape immediately surrounding Stonehenge, visiting the Stonehenge Cursus, Bronze Age burial mounds and walk along the Stonehenge Avenue. We complete our morning at Stonehenge with a guided walk around the stone circle, our archaeologists bringing to life this enigmatic, ancient and mysterious monument.
It’s hard to miss this old gem of a pub as you drive into the Avebury World Heritage Landscape. Famous as the inspiration for a scene in Dickens’ The Pickwick Papers, this four hundred year old inn represents what an English pub should look like.

The Afternoon is spent at the Avebury World Heritage Landscape. We visit Silbury Hill, the largest man-made hill in prehistoric Europe. We enter the 5500 year old burial chamber of West Kennet Long Barrow, entering a sacred space originally reserved only for ritual specialists and the dead.
We finish by visiting the largest stone circle in Europe at Avebury, walking the West Kennet Avenue we enter the stone circle through the southern entrance, witnessing the contrast between the prehistoric remains and the beautiful medieval village situated inside. As John Aubrey in the 1600’s notes [Avebury]…”does as much exceed in greatness the so renowned Stonehenge as a Cathedral doeth a parish church.”

“A truly legendary day out in the ancient Kingdom of Wessex”

Full itinerary – http://www.stonehengetours.com/stonehenge-prehistoric-wessex-walking-tour.htm

The Stonehenge Tour Company

June 1, 2012

Salisbury, Stonehenge and Sarum Guided Language Tours

Posted by StonehengeNews under salisbury guided tours, small group tours, stonehenge access tours 2012, Stonehenge experience, stonehenge private tours | Tags: language tours, Stonehenge Salisbury and Sarum Tours |
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Magical history tour will cater for several languages. A history tour in several languages has been launched to encourage people to come to the city. The Local Tour Operator launched daily audio tours of Stonehenge and ancient Wiltshire.

Join them on a journey as they travel back 5000 years in time.
Daily at 09:30 from the centre of Salisbury our “Magical History Tour” sets out to discover the mysteries of Stonehenge . This is a an alternative to joining a coach tour from London.

in English, German, French and Italian.

On your return you will have seen some of the most beautiful English countryside, been fascinated by Stonehenge, seen Old Sarum the iron age fort which was the earliest settlement here and finally viewed the Cathedral from a special place, missed by most tourists.

They look forward to welcoming you on board. Why not catch a train from London and join this local tour.

Salisbury, Stonehenge and Sarum Tours

Shrouded in mystery the World Heritage site at Stonehenge attracts people
from all over the world. Visit their website:

http://www.salisburystonehengetours.co.uk/

Our experience at Salisbury, Stonehenge & Sarum Tours ensures that you return home with lasting memories of the day when you stepped back in time. We have a selection of tours to meet all tastes from Cruise Guests with limited time to the visitor wanting to enjoy all the wonderful sites more leisurely. We also have our “Magical History Tour” to Stonehenge, which runs daily at 09:30. Commentary in English, German, French and Italian.

No tour to England would be complete without a tour of Stonehenge. Where is Stonehenge? Stonehenge is situated near Salisbury in the county of Wiltshire. Stonehenge is a Neolithic stone circle which even today is still shrouded in mystery.

Salisbury Stonehenge and Sarum Tours specialise in arranging multilingual tours of Stonehenge and surrounding places of interest including Salisbury and Old Sarum.
Salisbury, Stonehenge and Sarum Tour Guides are all local people who have been especially trained to achieve our “Yellow Badge” standard.

We meet our guests in the mediaeval city of Salisbury and you travel to Stonehenge in one of our modern vehicles.

The Stonehenge Tour from Salisbury Stonehenge and Sarum Tours will no doubt be one of your most memorable trips. So when you travel in England make sure that you take one of our tours to Stonehenge. We are also specialists catering for Southampton cruise passengers and their airport transits.

The Magical History Tour – English – German – French – Italian – simultaneously

The tour lasts 3 hours during which time you will have available multi lingual commentary in English, German, French and Italian. Disposable earphones are provided but feel free to bring your own personal ones with you. You will be given a tour program with maps describing you tour.

Firstly we drive along the picturesque Woodford Valley along a route too narrow for large buses where you will pass through traditional English villages with thatched cottages. You will see the homes of some very interesting and diverse residents. We shall tell you more about this as we drive along. Before we arrive at Stonehenge the bus will make a short stop so you can see the location of the newest discovery: Blue Stonehenge. Upon arriving at Stonehenge your guide will take you to the entrance where you will receive a multi lingual audio tour. You may now spend time pondering the mysteries of this World Heritage Site, buy souvenirs and purchase refreshments. We shall stop here for 60 minutes, but if the weather is bad guests find that 45 minutes is sufficient. We now drive across “Salisbury Plain” on our way to “Old Sarum”. This area has become a “Hotspot” for “crop circles” and UFO’s”. In spring and early summer it is quite possible that you could spot a crop circle but UFO’s might be more difficult to find. At Old Sarum, the original Iron Age settlement of Salisbury you will learn how the Celts, Saxons, Danes, Vikings and Normans all lived here. Look and enjoy the magnificent 360° vista and look down on the medieval city of Salisbury. Our last stop is at the “Harnham Mill” because it offers wonderful views of the magnificent St Mary’s Cathedral. Regrettably many tourists never see the Cathedral from this aspect, often being bussed into the city from London before being “whizzed” off to their next destination. It is from here that the respected English artist John Constable chose to depict Salisbury Cathedral in his famous paintings. At this point we offer you the option of leaving the tour and walking along the town path, through the water meadows, into the City. It is a gentle and flat 1,200 metre stroll which takes no more than 15 minutes. Your Tour Program highlights the interesting wildlife, which can be seen in the water meadows, which is a nature “Preservation Area”. For those returning to Salisbury with the bus, our drive takes 5 minutes and we shall drop you off where we started, in the Guildhall Square.

The tour starts and returns from the Guildhall Square at 09:30 – see map. You will see our Guide on the steps of the Guildhall carrying a large psychedelic umbrella

Stonehenge for 60 minutes, WC, refreshments and shop

Old Sarum for 30 minutes WC and shop

Harnham Mill for 15 minutes

Highly recommended!
Download Brochure: http://www.salisburystonehengetours.co.uk/
Link source: www.salisburyjournal.co.uk/

The Stonehenge Tour Company –

May 3, 2012

Glaswegian shoes come off for bouncy Stonehenge

Posted by StonehengeNews under Ancient Britons, London 2012, Olympic events, salisbury guided tours, stonehenge 2012, stonehenge druids
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Olympic project was almost scuppered by discovery of similar inflatable monument created two years previously

Two thousand people a day have come to frolic on Jeremy Deller’s latest artwork – a bouncy castle that is a precise replica of Stonehenge. Men, women, children: all leap, stride and somersault on Glasgow’s new favourite playground before it travels south to become one of the attractions of the London 2012 festival.

A neat idea, you might think. Sacrilege, as Deller has called his work, is not only a lot of fun (it is impossible not to smile when you shed your shoes, dignity, and understanding of gravity), but also thought-provoking.

The artist has transformed a great symbol of British history into a party. In real life, you cannot get near Stonehenge. Open to myriad interpretations and fantasies over its long history, it has now been given yet another existence through Deller’s impish version of a grand public sculpture

It turns out that Deller is not the first artist to have made an inflatable megalithic monument. In 2010, two years before Deller’s work was launched at the Glasgow International art festival, Jim Ricks, a California-born artist, Galway-based, unveiled his Poulnabrone Bouncy Dolmen – a precise, double-size replica of a megalithic table tomb built around 6,000 years ago in the Burren, Co Clare. The work toured various locations in Ireland last summer.

So is this a case of plagiarism? Or sheer coincidence? Are bouncy castles having what in fashion is known as a “moment”? Why, after several millennia of human creativity, have two inflatable megalithic monuments come along at once?

Deller became aware of Ricks’ sculpture, he said, while researching a manufacturer for Sacrilege. According to Ricks: “Jeremy contacted me in October and I didn’t think much of it … I didn’t register who it was.”

“I consider it an identical concept,” Ricks told the Guardian. “In terms of the description of the work, they are incredibly similar,” admitted Deller.

But Deller said that the idea for a bouncy Stonehenge had long pre-dated Ricks’s Dolmen. He had originally thought of submitting an idea for bouncy-castle versions of historic sites to an Arts Council England-run public-art competition in 2009, but was too busy at the time. Finally, he decided to realise the idea for Glasgow International, with the London mayor’s office as co-funders.

“The Olympics people got really nervous in case Jim decided to sue us,” said Deller.

Happily for them, he was not minded to. In fact Ricks forgot all about it, until: “I spoke to the manufacturer by chance about six weeks ago and it dawned on me, so I decided to go over to Glasgow. Part of me was like, ‘I’m ruined!’ It was the same idea done bigger and more visibly. But another part of me is delighted because Sacrilege is awesome, Jeremy was a cool down-to-earth guy, and it’s nice to know we’re on the same wavelength … in a ‘great minds think alike, fools seldom differ’ way.”

“You can be generous about it,” said Deller, “and realise that two people can have a very similar idea. It is, after all, a very simple idea.”

According to Ricks: “Jeremy is a lovely man, and I have no reason to doubt his story.”

Where the works differ, perhaps, is in the nuance. “Sacrilege is a way for people – not just kids – to enjoy a historical monument that is supposed to be revered,” said Deller. “It’s comedic, it’s absurd. It could be something you’d see in a satire on the Olympics or on art. I like to think of it as beyond parody.”

Ricks said that his sculpture had come out of observing the power of the Poulnabrone Dolmen as a regional and national symbol. He added: “At the height of the Celtic Tiger period, on every special occasion there seemed to be a bouncy castle around. Bouncy castles became a sort of vernacular monumental sculpture. So I decided to bring those two things together, and create a sort of hybrid version of Irish identity.”

The story of the megalithic bouncy castles is not yet at an end. Deller hopes that Sacrilege will travel to Northern Ireland as part of its Cultural Olympiad tour. If it does, he will invite Jim Ricks to bring his Poulnabrone Bouncy Dolmen over the border to visit. Let the bounce-off commence.

Full article in the Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/charlottehigginsblog/2012/may/02/bouncy-stonehenge-glasgow?newsfeed=true

The Stonehenge Tour Company – www.StonehengeTours.com

September 27, 2011

Stonehenge Special Access Tour from London

Posted by StonehengeNews under golden tours, private guided tours, salisbury guided tours, small group tours, stonehenge access, stonehenge access tour, stonehenge access tours 2012, stonehenge tours
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Take a Stonehenge coach tour with Golden Tours and find out why this landmark has amassed such renown and status. Choose a special access tour for a truly unforgettable experience, with entry to the very core of Stonehenge itself.

A world heritage site, Stonehenge is perhaps the most momentous of all the UK’s ancient landmarks. An extraordinary, almost overwhelmingly divine yet somehow obscure ambience pervades incomparable Stonehenge. These 40 tons of rocks have stood on Salisbury Hill for roughly 5,000 years. What was the purpose of Stonehenge? Was it used as a religious temple or possibly even as a Bronze Age burial ground?

With Golden Tours, you can decide between a Stonehenge morning tour or an evening tour. For the most ineffable, unutterably remarkable experience, however, you may want to take our Stonehenge special access tour. This grants you entry to the circle, for close proximity to the stones and a truly unsurpassed Stonehenge tour.

Visit beguiling Roman Bath and Lacock. The pastoral village of Lacock, dating back to the 13th century, overflows with its own charming appeal. It was a pulsating town for wool trade manufacturing during the Middle Ages. Bath was the first town in the whole of England to be afforded World Heritage status, and it is not hard to see why: it is pervaded with grandiose Roman ruins. Marvel at its varied imposing and noteworthy structures, such as its world celebrated spa, Pulteney Bridge (based on Florence’s Ponte Vecchio), and striking Bath Abbey.

There are a profusion of Stonehenge coach tours from London. Golden Tours’ offers a sweeping range of choices for tours, from Stonehenge, Bath, Windsor tours to the outstanding value ‘Simply Stonehenge’ tour. Yet, for the finest experience, choose Stonehenge special access tours. As has already been indicated, Stonehenge special access tours are arguably the most worthy tours to embark upon, as these will allow you to get much closer to the stones than you would on a standard Stonehenge tour.

A comprehensive variety of package day tours can fit the wishes of anyone who intends to experience for themselves the extraordinary marvel that is Stonehenge. For example, you can also try a Stonehenge, Bath, Windsor tour, and explore all three of these enchanting places. The highlight of Windsor is unquestionably Windsor Castle, a breathtaking structure that has enthralled inestimable numbers of visitors for centuries.

Theories flourish as to why exactly Stonehenge was built. See why it has motivated such debate: go on one of many Stonehenge tours from London.

Are you engrossed in the innumerable mysteries that encircle Stonehenge? Continual theories have spread as to why and how it was constructed, for what purpose it was built, and this imposing landmark has mystified many for centuries. Stonehenge tours from London are a perfect choice for those who are particularly deeply captivated by ambiguous, inscrutable Stonehenge, as such Stonehenge tours give you the ultimate experience.

For all your Stonehenge Tour requirements visit:
The Stonehenge Tour Company – www.StonehengeTours.com
Providing guided tours of Stonehenge since 1995

July 29, 2011

The majesty of Stonehenge

Posted by StonehengeNews under english heritage, salisbury guided tours, small group tours, stonehenge access, stonehenge access tour, stonehenge guide, stonehenge tours, Stonehenge's secret: archaeologist uncovers evidence of encircling hedges, stonehengeguide
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Thirteen kilometres north of Salisbury at the A303 roundabout, I motor west and 1.6 kilometres past the roundabout, there it is — looming in all its gargantuan glory for us to try to apprehend on a typically overcast afternoon in England.

The same country that produced the Rolling Stones provides us with stones of a much more stable nature, fixed in place for centuries; albeit these stones were actually moved some distance. Stonehenge, a 5,000-year-old stone circle puzzle, is the most famous prehistoric site in Europe. I park the car, amazed at how this mammoth entity suddenly manifests itself amidst the English plain.

And for what purpose?

Theories include an astronomical observatory, religious site, burial locale and a healing centre akin to that of Lourdes. Unfortunately, Stonehenge was created by those who left no written records; thus, many aspects remain subject to debate. Whatever its purpose, the precise design does include an observatory function. The two inner horseshoes are aligned along the rising and setting of the sun at the midsummer and midwinter solstices. Accordingly, the configuration allows for accurate predictions of eclipse, solstice, equinox and other celestial events.

These granite stones, some of which weigh as much as four tons, were reportedly dragged all the way from Marlborough Downs (North Wessex) and South Wales, 400 kilometres away! Erected in pairs, each is topped by an equally huge stone lintel. Within the inner circles stand two horseshoe-shaped arrangements, one within the other, and at the centre lies what is known as the Altar Stone. Further stones are to be found here and there within the site, which is surrounded by barrow mounds.

Years earlier, there was relatively easy access to the site, but that has changed. The stones can still be seen from the main car park, and can be viewed quite clearly from the roadside. Unlike the other monuments in the area, however, it’s necessary now to pay for an up close look. An entry fee of £7.50 for adults and £4.50 for children includes an audio guide and takes you through a tunnel under the road to the site. Generally, there is no direct access to the stone circle itself; visitors are guided around the monument by roped pathways and on-site attendants. The audio guide is available in several languages and lasts approximately 45 minutes. English Heritage and some tour operators from Salisbury can arrange early morning or evening visits that allow you to walk amidst the stones.

There are also daily tours of Stonehenge from London by coach.
Visit our website: http://www.StonehengeTours.com

From about 2500 B.C., Neolithic and Bronze Age man started to amass the Bluestones and Sarsen stones from Wales and the Marlborough Downs. It was not until 1600 BC that the complete structure of Stonehenge was finished. Most of the other monuments in the area, such as Durrington Walls and Woodhenge, date from the same period.

If you go

If you wish to play amateur Druid and check out Stonehenge during an actual solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, the longest day and shortest night of the year occur at the beginning of summer around June 20 or 21 when the sun is directly overhead at noon at the Tropic of Cancer. At winter solstice, about Dec. 22, the sun is overhead at noon at the Tropic of Capricorn and this marks the beginning of winter.

A nearby hill fort was built during the Iron Age, and there is evidence to suggest that the area was extensively settled by the Romans. The nearby town of Amesbury was later settled during the Saxon reign in 979 AD.

If you enjoy books the size and scope of War and Peace, to better understand Stonehenge try reading Sarum, historical fiction by Edward Rutherfurd which I have almost finished. Sarum, in the southwestern part of England, is the location of the ancient cathedral city, Salisbury, and a close neighbour of Stonehenge. Rutherfurd was born there, so he knows the place well, and in his first novel, he delves into Sarum’s pre-history to follow five families through the centuries in epic style reminiscent of James Michener.

Stonehenge is a World Heritage site. I’m not given to Druid superstitions and strange dreams about ritual sacrifice, but it gives me a weird sensation each time that I see it.

Mike Keenan is a Niagara-on- the-Lake based writer. Contact him at www.whattravelwriterssay.com

The Stonehenge Tour Company – Operating guided tours of Stonehenge since 1995
The Stonehenge Tour Company – www.StonehengeTours.com

March 30, 2011

Stonehenge Special Access Tours

Posted by StonehengeNews under english heritage, open access, private guided tours, salisbury guided tours, small group tours, stonehenge guide, Stonehenge guided tours form London., stonehenge private tours, stonehenge special access, Stonehenge special access tours - touch the stones., stonehengeguide | Tags: english heritage |
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Stonehenge special access tours
Our driver/guides are amongst the best Stonehenge experts in Britain. If you are looking for inner circle access, why not charter one of our luxury vehicles to collect you from your accommodation.

How Stonehenge Special Access works.

English Heritage is the organisation which is responsible for managing

Stonehenge inner circle tour

visitor access to Stonehenge. All special access slots, be they booked through agents, tour operators or directly are allocated by English Heritage. It is not possible to have special access to Stonehenge during normal opening hours and such visits have to me made either very early in the morning or in the early evening. English Heritage for very good reasons place tough restrictions on the maximum number of people that can use the special access during any slot and this number is 26 people (beware of travelling on a large coach group, as you may find that the hour that you have paid for is split into 2 X 30 minute slots). A Slot lasts for 1 hour and unless you have booked your own guide, there will be no guiding provided by English Heritage and you cannot use the regular audio guides that are available during the regular access times. For more information on booking special access slots visit the English Heritage website.

After you have found your slot, all you need to then is organise your transportation and tour guide and this is where we can really help. We employ the very best driver guides available, who are considered to be experts on Stonehenge and the wider area. This means we can offer you a full tour covering Stonehenge and other places (such as Salisbury, Avebury or Bath). This means you can make the most of your day out rather than just having 30 minutes or an hour at Stonehenge. When booking your Stonehenge special access with English Heritage, please remember to book 1 additional place for your driver/guide so that we can help unfold the mystery!

Best practice for securing a Stonehenge Special Access Tour

Contact English Heritage at: stonecircleaccess@english-heritage.org.uk or by calling 0044 (0)1722 34 38 30 (Mon-Fri 9-5pm GMT)
When you have found which slots are available, contact us:
Neeless to say we are happy to make arrangements for you.

The Stonehenge Tour Company
www.StonehengeTours.com
stonehengetours@allstarleisure.net

February 28, 2011

Stonehenge and Avebury. The ancient Britain tour

Posted by StonehengeNews under avebury tour, british tours, private guided tours, salisbury guided tours, stonehenge tours, tourws from london
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STONEHENGE & AVEBURY Neolithic monuments and megaliths forged in a mysterious landscape…

Silbury and Kennett
The tour starts with an initial fast-track out of London. The drive westwards takes us back in time and deep into the county of Wiltshire. First we have the option of exploring the largest prehistoric burial mound in the country, the West Kennet Long Barrow, where once skeletons of the ancient were laid in its multitude of underground chambers. Nearby is Silbury Hill, the world’s largest man-made pre-historic mound. Strangely conical in shape, it was made unsafe by multiple excavations and thus has kept its secrets as to its use or meaning.

Avebury Stone Circle

Avebury
Next, we make our way to the spooky village of Avebury, locked-in by the largest stone circle in Britain. Discover the Devil’s Chair, where it is said the dark one himself may be summoned, or the murderous Barber Stone, which exacted a terrible revenge on a villager who tried knock it down. Lunch is an option at a haunted pub within the circle.

Woodhenge and Durrington
In the afternoon we make the journey south, discussing along the way the huge ancient chalk carvings that decorate the slopes of local hills. Soon, we reach Woodhenge and the ancient settlement of Durrington Walls. Latest finds from recent digs around this area will help us theorise.

Stonehenge
Then our day reaches its climax, as we enter the mysterious World Heritage site of Stonehenge itself, an ancient stone structure older than the pyramids of Egypt, and a rare surviving monument of the pre-historic world. Some have a deep fascination with this place, and wonder about its meaning. Those not so swayed by the stones’ magical charms are left pondering the biggest mystery of all – how on Earth did they get there? Finally, on the drive home, reflect on the biggest mystery surrounding these places… just why did Captain Caveman become Fred Flintstone?
● Daily. Entrance fee payable.

Full-day private driving tour from London with official guide.
● Duration: 9 hours. Outward driving time from London: 1.5hrs approx.
● For couples, families or small private groups (up to 7 persons).
● Attractions subject to seasonal openings. Any entrance prices are extra

From £360
The Stonehenge Tour Company – www.Stonehengetours.com
privatetours@allstarleisure.net