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January 1, 2013

Get Up Close To The Stones At Stonehenge in 2013 Like Few Visitors Do

Posted by StonehengeNews under Avebury Stone Circle, Salisbury Tours, Silbury Hill, small group tours, stonehenge private tours, stonehenge special access, stonehenge tour 2013, stonehenge tours, Visit Wiltshire, World Heritage
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Stonehenge is a ‘must see’ for anyone visiting the UK. Our Stonehenge Special Access Tour gives you privileged access to the Stone Circle

As one of the country’s most famous World Heritage sites most visitors are not allowed direct access to the stones, but we have arranged with English Heritage for privileged access before or after the site opens to the general public between April and September only.

Stonehenge Guided Tours, the operator twin the special access visit with Salisbury for morning visits and Avebury for evening tours.
The tour starts and finishes in Central London. The special access visits are either earaly in the morning or in the evening outside public opening hours.

There are different itineraries depending on the time of your visit.

Sonehenge Guided Tours, the operator twin the special access visit with Salisbury for morning visits and Avebury for evening tours.

Morning Itinerary Including Salisbury
After the special access visit a short drive is taken through the beautiful Woodford Valley. Next stop will be at Salisbury Cathedral, where you will have free time to explore this beautiful and historic medieval Cathedral.
Price includes Special Access to Stonehenge, Salisbury Cathedral and English Breakfast plus of course the services of the guide.

Avebury Henge

Before the special access visit a visit is made to Avebury, another henge and much else Neolithic besides. A great training camp for Stonehenge itself.
You will have free time to explore this picturesque and historic village ringed by the largest stone circle in the world. Join your guide for a pint of fine English Ale at the Red Lion Pub – the only pub in the world located in the middle of a stone circle! (soft drink can be arranged as an alternative option)
Also walk up the hillside to West Kennet Long Barrow one of the largest Neolithic burial tombs in Britain and over 5000 years old.

Price includes Special Access to Stonehenge, expert guided tour of Avebury and West Kennet Long Barrow and a pint at the Red Lion Pub.

As the sun begins to set, we enter the stone circle (which is normally roped off to the public) for a unique private viewing. The most dramatic and atmospheric way of visiting Stonehenge.
On selected days the tour operates in reverse, beginning with a private viewing of Stonehenge before it opens to the public in the morning, so we see the stones in the eerie morning light. This is followed by our visits to Lacock and Bath.

These tours sell out very quickly as the demand far outstrips supply of available places – be sure to reserve your place early.

For this and other Stonehenge Private Access Tours visit: www.StonehengeTours.com

Stonehenge Private Access Tours – Go beyond the fences!

In addition our regular ‘scheduled group tour’ departures we are often able to get permission from the English Heritage for additional ‘inner circle’ tours for small groups (1-16 persons). These can be sunset or sunrise times depending on availability. These bespoke tours can also include Salisbury, Avebury, Bath, or Warwick Castle etc and can depart from London, Salisbury or Bath. This can often be cheaper than joining a scheduled tour, offers more flexibility, more personal and a better alround experience. Email us your desired dates and group size for a prompt reply. Click here

Stonehenge Guided Tours
The Stonehenge Experts

November 18, 2012

Weird Wiltshire: From mystical Stonehenge to crop circles and ancient burial sites.

Posted by StonehengeNews under Ancient Britons, archaeology, avebury, Silbury Hill, stonehenge tours, Visit Wiltshire, West Kennet Long Barrow, Wiltshire crop circles | Tags: king arthur |
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Explore thousands of years of mystic, historic happenings and ye olde English eccentricity

Simon Heptinstall from London’s TNT Travel Magazine visits Wiltshire.

Wiltshire is surely an epicentre of oddities. From inexplicable crop circles to mysterious prehistoric sites, this quintessential slice of unspoiled England is one of the most baffling and interesting places on the planet.

Photos: David Williams, Keith Chaloner/Visit Wiltshire, Britainonview, Getty

I’m intrigued by the countless tall tales I’ve heard, and decide the best place to start a tour of weird Wiltshire has got to be Stonehenge.

Theories abound as to how the massive stones – some weighing as much as 50 tonnes – came to be arranged in ancient times. Were they gifts from extraterrestrial beings?

Magically transported through a wave of Merlin’s wizardly wand in the times of King Arthur?

Or simply heaved into place by tough primeval men, for use as an astrological calendar?

However the circle was formed, these mammoth rocks standing on an empty hilltop like the discarded stone lego of giants, are still one of the most imposing sights I’ve ever clapped eyes on

A £7.80 ticket buys you access to the perimeter of the stones, but rather than stump up that cash, I find a signposted National Trust walk, which loops around the surrounding fields.

From here I can still see the famous stone circle and also get a satisfying sense of its place in the ancient landscape of avenues and fields.

A short drive from Stonehenge, through rolling chalky hills, takes me to its lesser-known Stone Age neighbour, Avebury, one of the biggest prehistoric sites in Europe.

Photos: David Williams, Keith Chaloner/Visit Wiltshire, Britainonview, Getty

Its sprawling inner and outer stone circles were formed for some long-forgotten purpose, and are connected to the nearby town via a grassy ‘avenue’. This is marked by pairs of large grey stones and leads past ramparts, ditches and tombs.

Naturally, such a mystical scene attracts all the nutters, and I pass groups of beardy druid-types hanging around the various rocks, muttering what sound like charms or spells to themselves.

One old hippy tells me a local legend: if you press your ear to a stone you can hear voices from the past.

I test his theory and strain to catch a whisper from anyone, a Pagan god perhaps, or just a long-deceased worshipper, but eventually give up – his hearing must be better than mine.

Avebury is a real hotbed of quirky old sites.

A short walk away is Silbury Hill – a chalk lump of 40m high, it’s the tallest man-made mound in Europe, comparable in size and age to some Egyptian pyramids.

Its purpose is again unknown – there’s a definite trend here – but legend has it there’s a man on horseback and covered in gold buried in its heart.

Archaeologists have been tunnelling into the mound for years, though, and haven’t found anything yet.

From one burial site to another, the next place on my list to explore is West Kennet Long Barrow – an underground chambered Neolithic tomb

Photos: David Williams, Keith Chaloner/Visit Wiltshire, Britainonview, Getty

Constructed around 3650BC, this atmospheric chamber was in use for at least 1000 years, until it was sealed with chalk rubble and boulders.

Some archaeologists believe this happened at the same time the stone circles at Avebury were built, indicating a dramatic change in beliefs or religion.

Deep inside the chamber, I can’t resist letting out a ghostly “woooh”, which echoes around the old stones.

I’m quickly shushed by a serious-looking spiritualist kneeling on the ground nearby. Time to call it a day.

The next morning I check out Wiltshire’s eight white horses, landmark figures carved into the side of chalk hills. No mystery here though, they were formed by eccentric landowners just a few hundred years ago.

One of the most spectacular, at Cherhill, was designed in 1780 by Dr Christopher Alsop, known as ‘the mad doctor’, who shouted directions to its makers through a megaphone from the bottom of the hill.

Finally, I clamber to the top of Westbury Hill to get a view of the intricate crop circles in the fields below.

From geometric patterns to swirling circles, some of these appeared as recently as last month, yet as little is known about their origin as about Stonehenge’s.

One thing is clear though – Wiltshire shows no signs of getting any less weird over time.

Eat, sleep, drink

For top-notch veggie fare, head to the Circle Restaurant (High St, Marlborough, tel. 01672 539514 ). Sandwiches, soups and cream teas are the order of the day. Mains from about £5.

The Red Lion is a classic old thatched country pub within Avebury’s stone circle.

The pub grub is affordable with main courses from £8.89.

For one of the best selections of real ale in the county, visit The Inn With The Well, a pub with plenty of character. Pints from £3.15.

Quaint Tudor wood panelling and roaring fires set the scene at The Sun Inn, where pints start from about £3.

Avebury Life is a budget B&B embracing Wiltshire eccentricity. It advertises to those coming to “experience the strength and energy of the stones” or “connect with the crop circles”. Double room with en suite from £70pn.

Stay in a grand farmhouse a short drive from Avebury at Blounts Court Farm near Devizes. From £35pppn, it’s a bargain.

Getting there

Take the train from London Paddington to Swindon from £46.30 return. Then take the number 49 bus from Swindon to Avebury (doesn’t run on Sundays).

Links:
http://stonehengetours.com/weird-wiltshire-stonehenge-crop-circle-tour.htm (Weird Wiltshire Tour 2012)
http://www.weirdwiltshire.co.uk/
http://www.tntmagazine.com
http://blog.stonehenge-stone-circle.co.uk
thetrainline.com
english-heritage.org.uk

Needless to say we operate dily tours from London visiting all the locations mentioned. – www.StonehengeTours.com

Stonehenge Guided Tours

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

February 11, 2012

Stonehenge, Bath and Avebury Archaeology Tours

Posted by StonehengeNews under archaeology tours, Avebury Stone Circle, avebury tour, Durrington Walls, english heritage, private guided tours, Silbury Hill, stonehenge and bath tour, stonehenge guide, Stonehenge guided tours form London., stonehenge tours, Tours From Antiquity
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Tours from Antiquity offers a unique opportunity to explore the awe inspiring world famous Stonehenge and Avebury Prehistoric Landscapes with an expert service, guided by a qualified archaeologist. This exclusive tour can be booked through ‘The Stonehenge Tour Company‘

West Kennet Long Barrow

The tour includes –

Return travel from London in a luxury coach
Entrance in to Stonehenge
Visit Stonehenge Cursus, Stonehenge Avenue and several Bronze Age Round Barrows (burial mounds) (only runs between March and October, due to time restrictions in the winter months)
A visit to one of the world’s most beautiful cities, Bath. Nourished by natural hot springs, stunning architecture, great shopping and iconic attractions
Guided coach tour around some of the most beautiful and stunning architectural works in Bath
Visit Woodhenge and Durrington Walls
Visit West Kennet Long Barrow and Silbury Hill
Visit Avebury Stone Circle and Henge

You will enjoy the passion and enthusiasm expressed by our professional, archaeologist tour leaders.

Why choose Tours From Antiquity?

Tours From Antiquity conduct ONLY Archaeology Tours, and as a result we believe we offer an excellent up-to-date specialist service; giving you the opportunity to learn in great detail about these amazing prehistoric sites, but also leaving you time to explore your surroundings by yourself.
Tours From Antiquity is owned by qualified archaeologists and our tour leaders are all qualified archaeologists, offering the most professional service possible.
On our tours you will be travelling with no more than 19 other people – guaranteed. With smaller group sizes comes a more personalised excursion experience.
Our tour coaches offer luxury transport, with good air circulation and clear PA system.

Our itineraries are carefully planned offering the very best experience while you discover as much as possible.

Tours From Antiquity was set up in order to tackle the growing interest and demand in the historic environment in the United Kingdom. Identified was a niche for specialist, qualified archaeology tours to the exceptional and world famous archaeological sites of Stonehenge and Avebury prehistoric landscapes. We aim to concentrate on small group sizes unlike the larger tour companies, creating an intimate feel to thetour.

Tours From Antiquity aims to guide you around all these fantastic archaeology sites, maximising your enjoyment and experience, answering all queries, be it general or academic whilst conducting a brilliantly informative archaeology tour. As well as a qualified archeologist tour leader, Tours From Antiquity offer luxury coach travel, admission to English Heritage sites and ‘free time’ for our customers to enjoy and explore the world’s most beautiful cities, Bath. Nourished by natural hot springs, stunning architecture, great shopping and iconic attractions

Tours From Antiquity offer lecture standard archaeology tours, embracing the entire landscape in which these famous sites are situated. Offering a guided archaeology tour through the biographies of these landscapes allows our customers a rare opportunity to truly understand the motives and beliefs of the architects and creators of prehistoric Britain.

Tours From Antiquity firmly believe that through providing passionate tour leaders who have devoted their careers to the study and public presentation of archaeology offers our customers a truly unique and exceptional experience.

This exclusive tour can be booked with ‘The Stonehenge Tour Company’ http://www.StonehengeTours.com

November 25, 2010

>WALKS – Wiltshire’s ancient landscape

Posted by StonehengeNews under Avebury and Stonehenge go live on Google, Silbury Hill
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>Its going to be crisp beautiful winter weekend. Get your hiking shoes on and get some fresh air! Here is a great DIY walk at Avebury Stone Circle. Sunday roast at the Red Lion ?
While this walk does not come across any bits of Diplodocus or Tyrannosaurus Rex it does include relics from communities who lived over 5,000 years ago.

Avebury in mid-Wiltshire lies some six miles west of Marlborough, and this walk not only takes in Europe’s largest stone circle but passes Europe’s largest man-made hill, Britain’s largest burial tomb, a 5,000-year-old temple site, and follows an ancient trackway. It also provides superb views over delightful Wiltshire countryside and downland on good paths and tracks.

From Avebury’s village car park alongside the recreation ground on the A4361 turn right along the road for a short distance before following a path on the left through a double gate and signed West Kennet and Longbarrow. Walk through a small enclosed area, another gate and along a path beside a very small River Kennet.

To the right and ahead can be seen the unusual shape of Silbury Hill. Dating from 2,800 BC, and standing almost 140 ft high it is Europe’s largest man-made mound but after centuries of research its original purpose is still not known.
To the left is rising downland as you pass through a gate to continue along the fenced path on the right-hand edge of the field. Negotiate two stiles and a gate before reaching the A4.
1. At the road turn left for a short distance then turn right through a metal, kissing gate to follow a gravel path along the left edge of an uncultivated field.
Cross a small brick-edged bridge go through a metal, kissing gate and follow the fenced path left before entering and keeping to the left edge of a large field. At this point a path to the right leads up to the West Kennet Long Barrow, constructed about 3700 BC, and used as a burial tomb for well over a 1,000 years.

At the end of the field go through a metal gate and along a grass track before crossing a tarmac lane and stile to follow the right- hand edge of a small meadow. As you near the end of the meadow look for and cross a stile to follow a hedge-lined path. At a T-junction of paths turn left and almost immediately right along a grass track uphill.
At a junction with a stony track and large field ahead turn left along the left edge of the field to follow the track down through a farmyard and into the village of East Kennett. Pass a delightful little pond by the village church and bear left along the lane past the church. At a T-junction by the Old Vicarage turn right alongside a stone wall and the village school.

2. Turn left along the lane signed to West Overton.
As the lane bends right keep ahead along a tarmac drive to keep the stone wall on your left. The drive crosses a small bridge and enters a large field. Follow the path to the left and continue along the left edge of the field as it climbs uphill to the A4 revealing views to the left over the Long Barrow, Silbury Hill and the monument atop Chernhill.
Before crossing the road take time to look at The Sanctuary on the left. Concrete posts now mark the site of a circular building used from 2,500 BC, to 2000 BC, possibly as a temple. An avenue of standing stones once linked the Sanctuary with the Avebury Rings.

Cross the road and follow the clear track ahead. This is The Ridgeway, an ancient track which followed natural routes across high ground from Pewsey north east to Goring on the River Thames.

Exceptional almost 360 degree views over the surrounding countryside are revealed as you gain height.

3. After almost two miles where a bridleway and byeway form a cross track, turn left to head towards the Chernhill monument.

Descend to pass the buildings of Manor Farm and the track becomes a tarmac lane.

4. Soon your route passes through the eastern entrance of the massive circular earthworks that make up the Avebury Circles. These are described as one of the largest and most impressive Henge monuments in Europe and are made up of 200 standing stones.

Histouries UK do guided tours of Stonehenge, Avebury, Silbury Hill, West Kennet Long Barrow, Chalk Hill Figures and ancient Wiltshire. Their bespoke tours can depart from London, Salssbury or Bath

Return to the village and merge with the main road opposite the Red Lion. As the main road sweeps left go ahead down High Street, past the Post Office and shop and just past the earthworks, turn left to return along the footpath to the car park.

Avebury Tour Guide