Day 2 - Stonehenge and the Salisbury Plain

Another wonderful weather day for us today. We woke to brisk temps and fog, but by 11:00 the sun was out warming us nicely. Started with an excellent breakfast at our B&B and a quick taxi ride to pick up our rental car. We have an Audi Q3 which is quite comfortable for the three of us. She has an onboard GPS unit which we've named Phoebe.

Phoebe

Yes, I drove on the opposite side of the road today. The seat belt buckles on the wrong side; the rear view mirror is on the left; the gear shift is on the left; but I did NOT run into anyone or anything and by the end of the day, I think I'd built some new neural pathways as I'm pretty comfortable behind the wheel.

Our first stop was Stonehenge. Three years ago, we drove to it, parked, took some pictures through the fence, and moved on. I actually went to the site today and wow have things changed. The old road which went very near the heel stone has been closed and grassed over. The visitor center is now more than a mile away and you take a bus to the henge and back. I was thrilled to get to see this site up close, even though you can't going off the designated path. Surrounding the henge in nearly every direction are early Bronze Age burial mounds. Folks back then thought it was of utmost importance to buried around the henge. Many of the remains that have been excavated show bodies that were wrought with disease, ailments, and other physical impairments lending credence to the belief that Stonehenge served as a place folks came to be healed.

We found lunch at a pub off the main road that came recommend from English Heritage staff. Was excellent and had our first sticky toffee pudding for dessert! Next up was Old Sarum. This site started as an Iron Age fort built in about 400 BC. William the Conqueror built a royal medieval castle here in 1070. In 1092, Salisbury's first cathedral was built on the grounds, only to be destroyed by lightning 5 days after completion. A second cathedral was built but was later dismantled to aid in the building of a newer cathedral in Salisbury proper.

After finding a car park (parking garage) in Salisbury, we walked to the Cathedral. As we approached, there was music seeping out from inside and by the time we paid our way in and entered the back of the sanctuary, we were met with a 50 piece orchestra practicing for a concert being given later at night. At one point, they played a variation of God Save the Queen (Great Britain's national anthem) and all the Brits stood up. Quite a sight and sound! Salisbury Cathedral is big. It has huge vaulted ceilings and a new, substantial baptismal font dedicated in 2008. The church was filled with visitors and we were all treated to the orchestra practicing the whole time. On our way out, the Cathedral Choir started practice their pieces for tonight which included Zadock the Priest.

After a quick tea, we jumped in the car trying to make Avebury before sunset. We arrived just in time to park at the Red Lion pub, walk across the street, see and feel the stones, then pop in the pub for dinner. Avebury is a stone circle that has remained un-commercialized. The remaining stones are in pastures with the town built around them. Avebury is also older that Stonehenge. It has no astrological order/lining up like Stonehenge, but you approach the site though an avenue of stones on either side of a wide lawn. Obviously its creators were very keen to things lining up. We even met a pilgrim of sorts going around to each stone to kiss it, hum a chant, and move on.

Drove back to Bath via the M (interstate) and are now prepping to leave the area for more adventures tomorrow! Our accents cause people to do double takes and stare for a bit. It's quite fun really as they look like they want to ask us questions, but are holding back. Maybe the country folk will work up the courage to say hi...ha! Hope you'll stay tuned and follow along.

 

Day 16 - The Salisbury Plain

Yucky weather today, but we pushed on, reminding ourselves that it's still so cool that we're in England. Today's adventures took us to the Salisbury Plain which is considered by many to be a huge spiritual place. For several centuries, folks have come to this area to build stone circles, abbeys, and cathedrals. Our first stop was Glastonbury Abbey. This place has hosted a veritable who's who in religious and historical lore. The tor (hill) nearby has the remains of an ancient tower that overlooks the valley and the abbey remains. Joseph of Arimethea and Jesus supposedly visited the site of the future abbey and built a church out of trees and mud. King Arthur and Queen Guinevere are said to be buried here along with St. Patrick (yes...shamrocks and pots of gold). This abbey was huge! There isn't a whole lot left, but the sheer size of what remains is evidence that this complex was large in its time, dwarfing what we saw at Tintern yesterday. The detail work in the remaining columns and arches is amazing. I do believe this is the best ruin I've seen in England!

After a morning snack, we headed off for Salisbury. This city was founded in 1220 with the building of the cathedral starting later that year. The settlement had previously been on a hill just to the east in a Roman fort called Old Sarem. This cathedral is massive, bigger than Wells, but smaller than York Minster. The exterior has carved figures like Wells, but the inside is more amazing! Salisbury has done a great job incorporating new things into this old church. For instance, stained glass has been repaired and restored where possible, but also replaced if needed. One of the first things I saw upon entering was a huge new baptismal font. This amazing piece was built in 2008 and provides a beautiful way of seeing the main aisle as the water has a glassy surface. Moving down the aisle, there is no screen separating the choir area from the congregation. I later learned that their screen was removed in the 1960s. As has been the case elsewhere, Salisbury has a Chapter House with a vaulted ceiling. Salisbury is unique, however, in that their Chapter House has one of the four remaining original copies of the Magna Carta from 1215. It's considered to be in the best condition. I've seen a later copy in the National Archives and this one was by far better--crisper, more legible, and amazingly well-preserved. No pictures were allowed, by the way.

We next made our way to Old Sarum which is nearby on a hill. Evidence shows that humans lived here in 3000 BC. An Iron Age fort was constructed on the site which was later expanded by the Romans, Saxons, and Normans who eventually constructed a castle and cathedral. In 1219, the cathedral was demolished and a new one built at Salisbury. When Henry VIII came along (good old Hank), he needed money so he tore down the castle and sold the materials. All that remains on this hill are the foundations of many of the structures. Unfortunately it was really raining and windy so I only took photos with my phone. I'll have to download those later.

We then buzzed up to Avebury which is a small village that contains three stone circles, one being the largest in Europe. The circles were built around 2,600 BC, prior to Stonehenge. Only Paul and Tim ventured into the fields to photograph these as it was still really windy and rainy. We all did, however, enjoy an afternoon snack and tea at the local pub.

On the way to our B&B, we drove by Stonehenge. We didn't stop due to weather, but are planning to return tomorrow. From the road, I was quite impressed!

We ended this great, cold, rainy day with a wonderful time at a local pub. We must be nearing the trip as our talks are beginning to reflect on what we've seen. Tomorrow we return to London and begin wrapping up what we missed there two weeks ago.

I hear it rained in Conway today! Yea!

Cheers!