UNITED KINGDOM
Visiting the
fascinating Stonehenge
tonehenge has been in my list since I was a child. Those huge rocks in the middle of nowhere were always intriguing and fascinating to this little guy who was dreaming of one day going there. In 2020, this dream became a reality.
Let's be honest, Stonehenge is in the middle of nowhere. So, how can you visit this fascinating, prehistoric site?
Here is one destination straight from my bucket list. Stonehenge consists of large stone circles set up on a flat area of land, and it is around 5,000 years old. People believe it was built by ancient people, but we are still not sure of their reasons. The structure we see today was built in stages, starting around 3000 BCE. Some people think Stonehenge was a place for religious ceremonies, while others believe it was used to study the stars and the sun. The stones are aligned with the sun during certain times of the year, like the summer solstice. This has led some to think that it was a way for ancient people to mark important events, like the changing of seasons. The stones were brought from far away, some from as far as 150 miles (240 km) away. It took many years and a lot of people to move and set up the stones.
By train: There is a direct line from London Waterloo which takes around 1h30m. Salisbury is the nearest station and from there you can take a taxi or the Stonehenge Tour Bus which departs hourly from the railway station.
By coach: Being such a popular tourist attraction, its probably your best option if you take a coach. Many of these depart from London Victoria every day, or you can book online for a small group or private expedition.
By car: You will need around 2 hours from central London and this way you’ll get the chance to see beautiful landscape and take your time.
Thankfully, I was staying at a friends’ place in Palmers Green, just a few hours away, and they were willing to do a road trip with me. Once you arrive, you will notice that the visitors’ center is still far from the main attraction. The entrance fee is £24.00 with a few discounts available and a bus will take you to the stones. You can walk around it and learn of its history through the signs.
If you are there but not willing to pay the entrance fee, you can take a nature trail around it. You won’t be very close to Stonehenge but you get a decent view for free.