Stonehenge (Stonehenge) is a mysterious stone megalithic structure on the Salisbury Plain, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The first researchers linked the construction of Stonehenge with the Druids. However, further excavations delayed the creation of Stonehenge to the new stone and bronze centuries. It is believed that the construction of the main ditch and ramparts dates back to 3020-2910 BC. e.

Legends connected the construction of Stonehenge with the name of the magician Merlin. In the middle of the 17th century, the English architect Inigo Jones put forward the version that Stonehenge was built by the ancient Romans. Some scholars of the Middle Ages believed that Stonehenge was built by the Swiss or the Germans. At the beginning of the 19th century, the version of Stonehenge was established as the sanctuary of the Druids. But the exact interpretation of this mysterious structure has not been found so far.

As a rule, it is not allowed to walk close to the stones or walk between them. But some tour operators from Salisbury allow, but only very early or late tourists.

How to get to Stonehenge

Stonehenge is located 130 km south-west of London. You can get there by car on the M3 and A303, which leads to Amesbury. From Waterloo station, trains run to Andover and Salisbury, from where buses run to Stonehenge. From Salisbury - bus Wilts & Dorset Stonehenge Tour, fare 11 GBP, on the way 40 minutes; or taxi for 30-35 GBP. From Andover - bus number 8 (Activ8).

In addition, in London you can buy a group tour, the cost starts from 65 GBP (admission and pick-up from the hotel included). From Salisbury there is also a tourist bus Stonehenge Tour (17 GBP), which picks up tourists at the railway station, in the city center and in Amesbury. The ticket is valid all day, buses depart every half hour-hour.

Kitchen and restaurants

On the territory of Stonehenge, there is practically no place to eat, except for a modest cafe-kitchen, owned by the Center for English Heritage, so it's better to take snacks with you. A more extensive meal is possible in the neighboring towns of Amesbury or Darrington - traditional fish and chips and it is unlikely that more.

Entertainment, excursions and attractions Stonehenge

In Stonehenge you can see:

• 1 - altar stone, six-ton ​​monolith of green mica sandstone from Wales
• 2-3 - burial mounds without graves
• 4 - fallen stone 4, 9 meters in length (Slaughter Stone - scaffold)
• 5 - Heel Stone
• 6 - two of the originally four vertically standing stones
• 7 - Ditch
• 8 - inner shaft
• 9 - outer shaft
• 10 - a parallel pair of ditches and shafts leading for 3 km to the River Avon (now these shafts are barely discernible)
• 11-ring 30 yards
• 12 - ring 30 yards
• 13 - circle of 56 wells, known as Aubrey holes
• 14 - small south entrance

Initially, Stonehenge looked like this: 30 huge stones (4, 1 m in height, 2, 1 m wide and weighing about 25 tons) formed a circle with a diameter of 33 m .On top of them were placed jumper stones about 3 m, 2 m in length and 1 m wide .The arc of the outer ring of 13 stones was preserved together with the overlaps .Within this circle, there were five Sarsen triliths (up to 50 tons in weight), forming a horseshoe, opened towards the avenue .Triliths are arranged symmetrically: the smallest pair was 6 m high, the next pair is slightly higher, and the largest was a single central trilith with a height of 7, 3 m .By the 19th century, only two triliths from the south-east and one strongly bent support of the central .In the first half of the 20th century, one trilith from the north-west was restored and the central support was straightened, what completely changed the view of the complex from the north-west .

In 1901-1965, Stonehenge was subjected to a global restoration, which became the subject of sharp criticism and even journalistic investigations in the early 21st century. However, Christopher Chippindale, curator of the Archeology and Anthropology Museum at the University of Cambridge, admitted that "almost all the stones were somehow moved and now stand in concrete"

In the vicinity of Stonehenge is also a lot of interesting. For example, at 5 km is the grave of King Stonehenge - archer from Amesbury (a conventional name for the archaeological find, made in May 2002). This is the burial place of a rich man who died at the age of 35-45 years and lived about 4,300 years ago, that is, at the time of the proposed construction of the complex.

Silbury Hill (Silbury Hill) - 40-meter artificial mound near Avebury, which is also located near Stonehenge and is also listed as a World Heritage Site. This is the highest of prehistoric artificial burial mounds in Europe and one of the largest in the world, which dates back to around 2750 BC. e.

Opening hours: April - October: 10:00 - 18:00, November - March: 09:00 - 16:00.

Entrance: 8 GBP, children (5 to 15 years): 4, 80 GBP, students and pensioners: 7, 20 GBP, family ticket (2 adults + 3 children): 20, 80 GBP.