Stonehenge Guided Tours

>Snow and ice failed to stop people visiting Stonehenge to watch the sunrise on the winter solstice.

More than 2,000 people gathered at the stones which were surrounded by a thick blanket of snow.
As well as the traditional druid and pagan ceremonies, a spontaneous snowball fight erupted as people enjoyed the cold weather.

The winter morning mist obscured the actual sunrise which took place just after 0800 GMT.

Among the Druids, hippies and sun worshippers were those just curious to experience the spiritual event at the site, on Salisbury Plain, in Wiltshire.
‘Peaceful atmosphere’
Serving soldier of 15 years Lance Corporal Paul Thomas, who fought in Iraq, was “knighted” with a sword by senior druid King Arthur Pendragon.
Formerly known as John Rothwell, King Arthur changed his name by deed poll.

He also performed a handfasting – a pagan marriage ceremony – inside the stones.

The shortest day of the year often falls on December 21, but this year the druid and pagan community marked the first day of winter on 22 December because the modern calendar of 365 days a year – with an extra day every four years – does not correspond exactly to the solar year of 365.2422 days.

During the winter solstice the sun is closer to the horizon than at any other time in the year, meaning shorter days and longer nights.
Peter Carson of English Heritage said: “Despite the cold weather, over 2,000 people attended and it was a cheerful and peaceful atmosphere.
“Stonehenge looked spectacular in the snow and it was a great way for people to start their festive season.”
Mr Carson said this year saw an increase in families joining the celebration as well as the number of people coming from overseas.
“The popularity of the winter solstice has grown over the years as more is known about Stonehenge and the winter solstice and the whole celebration has grown in popularity,” he said.

A good time was had by all……………………

External links:
http://blog.stonehenge-stone-circle.co.uk/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-12061134
http://www.stonehengetours.com/

Stonehenge Tour Guide

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A South African grandmother has spent R300, 000 to publish her book, which she believes proves that Stonehenge in the UK was a prehistoric calendar

Booysen, 66, said this week she examined various ancient structures to prove her theory, including the Chichen Itza Pyramid in Mexico and the world’s largest stone circle, The Great Circle at Avebury, in Wiltshire, England.

Booysen said the physical make-up of the various structures, whether the number of steps or the placement of rocks, all added up to 365, representing the number of days in a year.
Archeologists believe Stonehenge was built in three stages but, over the millenniums, the original structure suffered damage as a result of bad weather and pillaging.
Experts have theorised that Stonehenge, about 150km west of London, may be a calendar, a burial ground or a temple.
Booysen has long been fascinated by stone monuments.
“I love a mystery. I’ve always had an interest in Stonehenge and, for my 50th birthday, my husband sent me to England and I finally saw it. Booysen joined a ‘special access’ tour with the Stonehenge Tour Company
“It was wonderful. I just knew that it must have some significance. Why would those people drag those stones all the way there?”
Booysen said her interest in a book on Stonehenge peaked after watching a documentary in June 2006 in which it was reconstructed from polystyrene.
She said she hoped her book, available via her website as an e-book, would appeal to academics and those interested in Stonehenge.
She said the book was very technical and contained calculations and diagrams to explain her theory.
“I’d like people to understand that the people who built this monument were absolutely brilliant. It’s not just a pile of rocks.”

Stonehenge Tour Guide

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>In August 2008 HeritageAction wrote on The Modern Antiquarian that-

In the current edition of British Archaeology there is a two page article by Mike Pitts entitled The Stonehenge Olympics. The first page of the article contains a review of recent plans to improve the visitor facilities at Stonehenge and the second page is a summary of English Heritage’s latest Public Consultation initiative (see http://www.stonehengeconsultation.org/ for details). Mike Pitts makes an interesting point when he says –

“The government announced it was scraping the approved roads scheme on the grounds of cost last December. The day before, the DCMS said it was to give Tate Modern £50m towards its gallery extension, a gesture, it was hoped, that would ensure its opening in time for the Olympics. Now that seems unlikely, as fundraising gets tough, Tate director Sir Nicholas Serota is happy to say that his extension may not be ready till 2014.”
Note the word ‘happy’. Why is Serota happy? Couldn’t be could it that it gives the Tate the necessary time to get the extension right?

I’ve never been happy with tying in new visitor facilities at Stonehenge with the Olympic deadline of 2012 – it seems an impossible objective to achieve in only four years. English Heritage are expected to have their plans in for government scrutiny by the end of this year. The proposals then have to be approved by the government, and planning permission then has to be granted for the preferred site. Each of the sites proposed for the new facilities contain, or are close to, sites of archaeological importance; are these sites to be hurriedly excavated just to meet the government’s deadline for the 2012 Olympics?
Along with billions of other people I watched the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics on television yesterday; pretty impressive, lots of people enjoying themselves – and why not. I couldn’t help thinking however that it was more than a bit ‘staged’ for world approval. While the Chinese authorities were claiming that this was a ‘green’ Olympics (hmm…) and the unfolding digital scroll showed the progress of the Olympic torch around the world, it somehow managed to omit displaying any of the ‘obstacles’ the torch had encountered along the way. This is nothing more than a selective interpretation of the truth.
What I’m getting at here is that the ongoing shenanigans at Stonehenge seem to have a similar, not to say uncomfortable, feel to them – re: the ‘manipulation’ of public approval. One idea after another for new Stonehenge visitor facilities, tossed out at the obscene expense of the British taxpayer, has achieved nothing to date. Nothing, that is, until now when reputations and personalities are coming under the national and international spotlight of the 2012 Olympic Games.
Stonehenge, perhaps our most important and iconic Neolithic monument, deserves a great deal more than the passing whim of the present (indeed of any) government, let alone the fleeting reputations of those in the political and sporting worlds. It certainly deserves far more than the timeframe dictated by the big Olympic party scheduled for 2012. Let’s take a leaf out of Nicholas Serota’s book and say we’d be happy not to have anything ready for Stonehenge for the Olympics in four years time, but what we will eventually have will be something which Stonehenge, and the people of Britain, deserve and can be rightfully proud of.
It gives me no pleasure to say, “I told you so” but if you read Mike Pitts blog here – http://mikepitts.wordpress.com/ that’s what it’s come to. Mike Pitts writes –
“Also in November English Heritage, having lost the £10m promised by the previous government for the proposed new visitor centre, regained it from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Hopefully now EH will be able to raise the rest of the money it needs: but Stonehenge won’t be ready for the 2012 Olympics, the politicians’ original claim, and instead if all goes well, at that time Stonehenge will be a bit of a building site.”

So, now that the Olympic pressure is off let’s do two things without further delay:

1) Secure finances for first class improvements at Stonehenge.

2) As there is no Olympic deadline to meet anymore let’s get it right. Right being the immediate closure of the A344. Right being a well-designed and aesthetically pleasing Visitor Centre. Right being a practical, and also an aesthetically pleasing, transport system from the Visitor Centre to the Monument.
There can be no more excuses and no more delays – the time has come this time to really get it Right!

Stonehenge Tour Guide

>Walk Among The Stones At Stonehenge Without The Crowds

When you visit Stonehenge during public hours you have to keep behind a small rope fence about two foot off the ground. For most people this is perfectly adequate.

For those who are really, really interested in Stonehenge it is possible to go beyond the rope fence and walk among the stones.
These visits are called Special Access visits and take place outside public opening hours. This is the only time you will be able to walk amongst the stones at Stonehenge.

Stonehenge Special Access Visits – Key Facts– Special Access visits are available most but not all months of the year, (no visits in October and November and are not available on around the midsummer’s day).

– Demand for tickets far exceeds supply, dates are often sold out months in advance. Do not expect to get tickets without ordering well in advance.
– Special access visits take place at quite unsociable hours, commonly between 05:30 and 08:00 in the morning and after 18:30 in the evening.
– Factor in that its almost 2 hours traveling time between London hotels and Stonehenge and you can see such a visit entails a very early start or late finish for those based In London.
– There are no audio guides available and the gift shop and catering outlet are also closed. Only the toilets are open. There is nobody there to tell you anything about Stonehenge and no information is provided – though you can preorder a glossy guide book on ordering your tickets. On morning visits you can wait a little until Stonehenge opens for the public when the gift shop, refreshment kiosk are open and audio guides become available.  Otherwise buy them before – see below
 – The only people there apart from a maximum of 26 Special Access ticket holders are a few security guards who will not provide any information about Stonehenge. They are just there to make sure you get up to no mischief.


Scheduled Special Access Tours From London and Salisbury

A couple of tour companies in London offer tours that include Special Access. This overcomes the logistical problems of getting to Stonehenge early morning or evening when there is no public transport to Stonehenge.

However, its still a very early start or a late return to London and these companies cannot get enough tickets for their needs. As a result dates are very sporadic. Most days there will not be a tour running and they will normally sell out well in advance on those days the tour runs – don’t leave it until you arrive in London or you will be disappointed.
The Stonehenge Tour Company have by far the best reputaion and were the original operator to offer this itinerary.  You could try local companies HisTouries UK Tours or Salisbury Guided Tours who opearte bespoke private guided tours.  Needless to say the big group coach companies offer similar tours; Premium Tours, Golden Tours and Evan Evans and you can book discounted tickets here;
http://www.stonehenge-stone-circle.co.uk/coach-tours.htm

IMPORTANT:  The Stonehenge English Heritage shop is closed during these private access visits and you will not be able to purchase guide books or souvenirs so you are wise to buy before.  Needless to say if you do some research before it will certainly enhace your visit, I have listed the the most popular guide books etc below.

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>A total lunar eclipse will take place on December 20/21, 2010 Sadly it will not be visible oin Britain? It will be visible after midnight Eastern Standard Time on December 21 in North and South America. The beginning of the total eclipse will be visible from northern Europe just before sunrise. The end of the total eclipse will be visible rising at sunset for Japan and northeastern Asia, it also appears very visible to the Philippines just after sunset (as in Partial lunar eclipse). It will be the first total lunar eclipse in nearly 3 years, the last being on February 20, 2008.

 It is also called the Christmas lunar eclipse.

External links:
http://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar-eclipse-december-21-2010.html
http://blog.stonehenge-stone-circle.co.uk/2010/12/07/full-moon-this-winter-solstice-2010/
http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/OH/OH2010.html

Stonehenge Guide

>It might seem far too early to mention this but it’s a fair bet all the available places will be snapped up very quickly. There is to be an evening walk to Stonehenge led by David Dawson, Director of the Wiltshire Heritage Museum, on 8th June 2011 and a second one on 13th July.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to inspect (but no touching) and photograph (for non-commercial purposes) the stones closely, and see the inscriptions, including the famous ‘daggers’ believed to date from prehistoric times. Wander at will inside the circle and enjoy the landscape. ”
But we were rather struck by this request on the Museum’s website:

“Note – please do not touch or climb on the stones, picnic or play music whilst in the monument”

…since halfway between 8th June and 13th July comes the summer solstice when, as everyone knows, a large number of people have been allowed to ignore all four of those matters year after year. So we have a couple of dozen ultra-respectful paying customers acting one way, thousands of non-paying revellers acting in the opposite way then back to paying ones acting in the first way, all in the space of five weeks! BOTH sets of behaviour can’t be right, surely?

It’s very confusing. Which IS the right way to act at the stones? Or, much more pertinently, which way should those who are in charge of an event at the stones ensure people act? Is the strict version just something the Wiltshire Heritage Museum has formulated? Or was it imposed on them by English Heritage as a condition of them being allowed to take people there? And what would happen if a percentage of the Museum’s customers defied the Museum’s rules and climbed on the stones on 8th June? Would EH give them one more chance and tell them that if they failed to control all their paying customers and protect the monument a second time on 13th July they shouldn’t come back next year? Or would they accept an excuse from the Museum, year after year after year, “we do always ask people to behave, honest, but it’s definitely not our fault if they don’t….“
See also here – the only way out of the dilemma that we can think of, and a way of saving EH lots of money as well.

External links:
http://heritageaction.wordpress.com/
http://www.histouries.co.uk/ – Stonehenge Walking Tours
http://www.stonehengetours.com/

Stonehenge Tour Guide

>STONEHENGE has been given a £10m boost, thanks to the Heritage Lottery Fund, it has been revealed.

The grant will support work to remove the existing visitor facilities allowing the experience of the stones to be more naturally integrated with its ancient processional approach and the surrounding landscape.

These improvements will give people the chance to explore what the site would have been like thousands of years ago.

The project aims to improve the visitor experience, including the creation of a new carefully designed visitor centre which will include education and exhibition spaces to help people learn more about Stonehenge’s history.

The project will also support training opportunities and a new volunteering programme.

Dame Jenny Abramsky, Chair of the Heritage Lottery Fund, said: “Stonehenge is one of the archaeological wonders of the world. It demonstrates the vital role heritage plays within the UK’s tourism industry as well as being a great example of our fascinating history.
“This Heritage Lottery Fund investment will help transform this site and give people a much greater understanding of why it is so significant.”

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/
http://www.stonehenge-stone-circle.co.uk/

Stonehenge Tourist Guide

>The English Heritage Travel Collection – 2011 Ancient Wessex Tour
Dates: May 6–8, 2011Erected between 3000 and 1600 BC, Stonehenge is the most eloquent testimony to the once dominant civilisations of the Stone and Bronze Ages. And what better way to unravel the mysteries of Stonehenge’s innermost circle than on a private tour in the company of an expert from English Heritage?

Stonehenge inner circle tour

Working in partnership with English Heritage, ACE has developed an exclusive portfolio of historical tours and cruises in Great Britain and Europe. Each tour offers a unique blend of cultural sight-seeing and explanatory talks, all under the guidance of an expert and experienced course director.

As well as inspecting Stonehenge’s antique trilithons at close hand, our early morning visit will reveal how recent excavations have radically altered interpretations about this most monumental of temples.

The ceremonial landscape that lies around Stonehenge is richly suggestive of Wessex’s ancient patrimony: we will explore the Great Cursus, the henges of Durrington Wall and Woodhenge, and a handful of the great Bronze Age barrows that bestride the surrounding hills.

The majestic façade of West Kennet chambered long barrow, framed by two enormous quarry ditches, was constructed around 3650 BC – some four centuries before the first stones were raised at Stonehenge. Immediately to the west lies Avebury, the world’s largest pre-historic stone circle, further graphic confirmation of the outstanding engineering skills of our megalithic ancestors.

We stay in Salisbury at the 17th century three-star White Hart Hotel overlooking the famous mediaeval cathedral.

Itinerary

Day 1 Course assembles 1600 for two nights at Mercure White Hart Hotel, Salisbury. Evening: sherry reception followed by course introduction.
Day 2 Early morning privileged visit to Stonehenge (inner circle) followed by Neolithic henge monuments of Durrington Walls and Woodhenge, Stonehenge Cursus, King Barrows (unexplored Bronze Age barrows), Stonehenge Avenue (ceremonial approach). Evening talk.
Day 3 Avebury Henge (huge earthwork enclosing three stone circles), Silbury Hill (largest man-made mound in Europe), West Kennet long barrow (early Neolithic chambered tomb). Course disperses 1700 at hotel.

Cost
Cost of £490 includes: accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, drinks reception, breakfast, two packed lunches & two dinners, special entry to Stonehenge, excursions & admissions (except English Heritage properties for non-members).

Click here for further details and to make a reservation:

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For other similar tours you could try The Stonehenge Tour Company or for private guided tours you could try HisTOURies UK based in Salisbury and Bath.  For more information on Stonehenge try The Stonehenge Stone Circle Website

Stonehenge Tour Guide

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Stonehenge Access Tours – A unique opportunity!

2011 Stonehenge Private Access Dates released.If you are planning to visit Stonehenge Stone Circle in 2011 then plan ahead and book a special ‘inner circle’ access tour

Book an exclusive private viewing of Stonehenge. Stepping inside the “inner circle of stones” is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Tickets are limited and each group consists of 26 (morning) or 40 (afternoon) with your own guide. With a choice of sunrise or sunset viewings, and private access to the inner circle of stones, your visit to Stonehenge is sure to be a memory you’ll cherish. As an added bonus, you’ll avoid the huge crowds.


Private Viewing of Stonehenge – Click here to book

Most visitors to Stonehenge are not allowed direct access to the stones. On this special day trip from London, you’ll be invited to enter the stone circle itself, and stand beside the mysterious rocks towering above you. Your guide will unlock the secrets of this ancient UNESCO World Heritage Listed monument. Enjoy the peace, away from the crowds, as you experience Stonehenge at its atmospheric best at sunrise or sunset. Availability is strictly limited so book early, as private viewings regularly sell out and operate on selected days in 2010/2011 only.

Lacock
Lacock is one of England’s most picturesque villages, dating back to the Saxon era. The village has provided the setting for many movies and television dramas, including Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Take a walk before enjoying an early evening meal (or breakfast for sunrise departures) in the George, a vintage English pub built in 1361. Note, meals are at your own expense.

Bath
Bath is beautiful Georgian city, and also on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Its most celebrated resident is Jane Austin, and Bath was her birthplace and inspiration for several novels. You’ll have time to visit Bath Abbey and the magnificent Roman Baths, or simply shop and explore. You also have the option of taking a walking tour to see where Charles Dickens lived and worked as a young man, and to sample fresh cheeses from the local dairy

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If you prefer not to travel as part of a group you could always organise a private tour that include access into Stonehenge inner circle – ideal for families and small groups.   The ‘StoStonehenge Tour Company’ have an excellent record with many years experience – click here

Stonehenge Tourist Guide

>ONE of the world’s leading experts on Stonehenge discovered his passion for archaeology as a child in his Cheltenham back garden.

Professor Timothy Darvill has been awarded an OBE, in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours List, for services to archaeology. He is a leading expert on prehistoric Britain.

He said it was a “great privilege” to receive the honour from the Queen earlier this month at Windsor Castle and thanked his colleagues, friends and family.

“I have always been passionate about archaeology and feel fortunate to have contributed to so many amazing projects that have revealed such a great deal about our nation’s history and heritage,” he said.

Born and bred in Cheltenham, Prof Darvill has been passionate about archaeology since he was a child, according to his mother Win Darvill.

“He has always been interested from when he was a small boy. He used to dig holes in the garden all the time,” she said.

“His father, who was a civil engineer, was interested in fossils and passed it all on to Timothy and it went from there.”

The family lived in the Battledown area and Mrs Darvill now lives in Pittville.

Timothy Darvill is now a professor at Bournemouth University.

Mrs Darvill said: “When he was in his teens he was always either involved in archaeology in Cirencester or on field walks. It has always been his passion. I could not believe it when he was awarded the OBE but I am so proud.”

She said her son grew up in the right area to find all kinds of interesting landscapes.

But he developed an interest in Stonehenge from a young age too.

“He has done a lot of work on it and written many books about it. I read them but I wouldn’t like to write an essay on them,” she said.

The author of more than 20 books and 200 papers and articles, Mr Darvill famously co-directed the first excavations within the stone circle at Stonehenge for more than 40 years in April 2008.

His work featured in a BBC Timewatch programme, which examined the theory that Stonehenge was a prehistoric centre of healing.

After completing a PhD at Southampton University on the Neolithic of Wales and the west of England, he worked with the Western Archaeological Trust and the Council for British Archaeology before establishing a private practice offering consultancy services in the field of archaeological resource management.

In October 1991, he was appointed to the chair of archaeology in the newly-established archaeology group at Bournemouth University and led the Monuments at Risk survey commissioned by English Heritage in the mid 1990s and has worked in Russia, Malta, Greece, and Germany. He is chairman of the board of directors of Cotswold Archaeology, one of the top archaeological companies in the UK, and vice-president of the Society of Antiquaries of London.

Stonehenge Tourist Guide