Sky at the Henge

Back to Stonehenge today for my Skywatch

Stonehenge

One of the more famous places in the UK, one which people from all over the world come to visit. There is a lot of history enveloping the place and the surrounding area. I doubt that historians really know what it was built for let alone the so called druids that flock to the place to welcome the solstice’s in. If you can get BBC iPlayer then watch Stonehenge What Lies Beneath  and make you own mind up.

My wife & I had been wanting to visit the place for a while and got the opportunity during our holidays. Both of us ad been to the place before I might mention.

A couple of weeks before it seems this guy  made a visit and had a wander round the stones but just for the record both myself and my wife had been round them in the past when you could walk among the stones and even picnic on them
BTW the two photos came Courtesy of the BBC and were taken by Charles Dharapak

Fact is you could do this till around 1977 when it was roped off because of erosion & damage, probably not helped by the Stonehenge Free Festival that happened between 1972 & 1984 and culminating with the Battle of Beanfield in 1985. Since then any use has been strictly restricted

Lets get on with this post and it's a long one, bit like the henge from the entrance here which is a couple of miles away. Have to admit I'm not impressed with this new building but saying that the give shop is not bad nor is the cafe which sells a great pasty. There is also a museum you can walk around

This cross is a memorial to two pioneer flyer's who were killed in an accident in 1912 not far from this point

Did not get a photo of the shuttle but it takes about ten min to get here from the reception area

Only things that get near the stones (apart from Presidents) now are the crows round the area

In the distance you can see a line of barrows or burial mounds, they are common round here

Going further round the stones, you can see a ditch in the foreground

That's the nearby road you see here and it get chocked up with rubber necking drivers looking at the stones

Got to admit they are impressive

People looking at the stones

A nearby barrow

The road again, check the line of cars behind the rubber neckers

This is called the heel stone

and this is a milestone which is not from the henge but was beside the old road that ran by here

this is a replica of a stone on a sled which is how the pulled it. Cop the numpty on the right trying his hardest

I recon this lady did better

This is a replica of the building that may have stood round here though I doubt very much if they were painted white, more a nice shade of mud

Well that's my little tour to Stonehenge, make of it what you will but if your in the area no doubt you will want to visit. You can check out more at English Heritage or read the link on Wicki.

Taking Part in Our World Tuesday