A visit to Wiltshire is incomplete without a trip to the legendary site of Stonehenge. I guess if you describe the site to someone who has no knowledge of Stonehenge, it sounds remarkably uninspiring – a number of huge rocks arranged in an approximate circle in the middle of a vast field sandwiched between two busy main roads. Not sold on this as a major site? With that description, neither would I! Let me try again!
Stonehenge is often viewed as the mystical centre of England and has been a revered site since 3000 BC, when it is speculated that ancient man indulged in sun worshipping. The original site was much larger than the remaining stones, and aerial photographs and excavations have shown that the layout, despite the monstrous size of the stones, has changed over the millennia.
From the roadside, the whole site looks inconsequential, and it’s only when you’ve paid your money and are approaching the stone configuration that you’ll realise how vast these monoliths are (the largest is over 20 feet high). It’s really hard to imagine how ancient man managed to get the rock into position. Not only did the stone come from over 200 miles away (southwest Wales), but also the massive lintels had to be put in place. They were so well placed that they remained there! In the centre is the altar stone, and although this is a pagan site, there is nothing to indicate that ritual killings took place here. It does seem as if sun worshipping was its raison d’être, with the stones mathematically so well placed that the so-called heelstone is the point from which the summer sun rises on the longest day (21st June). The whole thing must have been a major feat of construction in days when the only source of construction power was manpower.
I imagine the view from the centre of Stonehenge has been subject to minimal changes over the centuries, as the area, other than the roads, has, incredibly, not been subjected to either residential or industrial development. What is not easy to see from the ground is the extent of the site. There are the 56 "Aubrey" holes (named after the 17th-century diarist who discovered them) that make up the perimeter and the realisation that the stones positions had been changed in the earlier part of its life - as if the first construction wasn’t difficult enough, but perhaps the earlier "engineers" got their calculations wrong! This would be perfectly feasible, because there is a strong view that Stonehenge was built as an elaborate timepiece. Not accurate for the time of day, but a competent way of dividing the year into seasons or key time "zones."
So, while you’re there, consider the vast scale of the work involved and the reasons for its construction – a key meeting place for local councils, a place of worship, or an a elaborate calendar.
From journal A Leisurely Weekend Break in Wiltshire