Wednesday 24 November 2010

WALKS - Wiltshire's ancient landscape

Its going to be crisp beautiful winter weekend.  Get your hiking shoes on and get some fresh air!  Here is a great DIY walk at Avebury Stone Circle.  Sunday roast at the Red Lion ?
While this walk does not come across any bits of Diplodocus or Tyrannosaurus Rex it does include relics from communities who lived over 5,000 years ago.

Avebury in mid-Wiltshire lies some six miles west of Marlborough, and this walk not only takes in Europe's largest stone circle but passes Europe's largest man-made hill, Britain's largest burial tomb, a 5,000-year-old temple site, and follows an ancient trackway. It also provides superb views over delightful Wiltshire countryside and downland on good paths and tracks.


From Avebury's village car park alongside the recreation ground on the A4361 turn right along the road for a short distance before following a path on the left through a double gate and signed West Kennet and Longbarrow. Walk through a small enclosed area, another gate and along a path beside a very small River Kennet.

To the right and ahead can be seen the unusual shape of Silbury Hill. Dating from 2,800 BC, and standing almost 140 ft high it is Europe's largest man-made mound but after centuries of research its original purpose is still not known.
To the left is rising downland as you pass through a gate to continue along the fenced path on the right-hand edge of the field. Negotiate two stiles and a gate before reaching the A4.
1. At the road turn left for a short distance then turn right through a metal, kissing gate to follow a gravel path along the left edge of an uncultivated field.
Cross a small brick-edged bridge go through a metal, kissing gate and follow the fenced path left before entering and keeping to the left edge of a large field. At this point a path to the right leads up to the West Kennet Long Barrow, constructed about 3700 BC, and used as a burial tomb for well over a 1,000 years.

At the end of the field go through a metal gate and along a grass track before crossing a tarmac lane and stile to follow the right- hand edge of a small meadow. As you near the end of the meadow look for and cross a stile to  follow a hedge-lined path. At a T-junction of paths turn left and almost immediately right along a grass track uphill.
At a junction with a stony track and large field ahead turn left along the left edge of the field to follow the track down through a farmyard and into the village of East Kennett. Pass a delightful little pond by the village church and bear left along the lane past the church. At a T-junction  by the Old Vicarage turn right alongside a stone wall and the village school.

2. Turn left along the lane signed to West Overton.
As the lane bends right keep ahead along a tarmac drive to keep the stone wall on your left. The drive crosses a small bridge and enters a large field. Follow the path to the left and continue along the left edge of the field as it climbs uphill to the A4 revealing views to the left over the Long Barrow, Silbury Hill and the monument atop Chernhill.
Before crossing the road take time to look at The Sanctuary on the left. Concrete posts now mark the site of a circular building used from 2,500 BC, to 2000 BC, possibly as a temple. An avenue of standing stones once linked the Sanctuary with the Avebury Rings.

Cross the road and follow the clear track ahead. This is The Ridgeway, an ancient track which followed natural routes across high ground from Pewsey north east to Goring on the River Thames.

Exceptional almost 360 degree views over the surrounding countryside are revealed as you gain height.



3. After almost two miles where a bridleway and byeway form a cross track, turn left to head towards the Chernhill monument.

Descend to pass the buildings of Manor Farm and the track becomes a tarmac lane.

4. Soon your route passes through the eastern entrance of the massive circular earthworks that make up the Avebury Circles. These are described as one of the largest and most impressive Henge monuments in Europe and are made up of 200 standing stones.

Histouries UK do guided tours of Stonehenge, Avebury, Silbury Hill, West Kennet Long Barrow, Chalk Hill Figures and ancient Wiltshire.  Their bespoke tours can depart from London, Salssbury or Bath

Return to the village and merge with the main road opposite the Red Lion. As the main road sweeps left go ahead down High Street, past the Post Office and shop and just past the earthworks, turn left to return along the footpath to the car park.

Avebury Tour Guide

Thursday 18 November 2010

£10m boost for Stonehenge from the Heritage Lottery Fund

STONEHENGE has been given a £10m boost, thanks to the Heritage Lottery Fund, it has been revealed.


The grant will support work to remove the existing visitor facilities allowing the experience of the stones to be more naturally integrated with its ancient processional approach and the surrounding landscape.

These improvements will give people the chance to explore what the site would have been like thousands of years ago.

The project aims to improve the visitor experience, including the creation of a new carefully designed visitor centre which will include education and exhibition spaces to help people learn more about Stonehenge’s history.

The project will also support training opportunities and a new volunteering programme.

Dame Jenny Abramsky, Chair of the Heritage Lottery Fund, said: “Stonehenge is one of the archaeological wonders of the world. It demonstrates the vital role heritage plays within the UK’s tourism industry as well as being a great example of our fascinating history.
"This Heritage Lottery Fund investment will help transform this site and give people a much greater understanding of why it is so significant.”

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/
http://www.stonehenge-stone-circle.co.uk/


Stonehenge Tourist Guide

Tuesday 16 November 2010

English Heritage’s 'Vision for Stonehenge' Video

Click on the link below to view the Stonehenge video!


http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/stonehenge/environmental-improvement-project/our-proposals/
English Heritage’s plans are the culmination of months of working closely with a range of stakeholders and engaging with local residents.
Forget the new Visitor Centre (who knows if it will be like that or built there or built at all this side of the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro) but look at the rest! It certainly looks excellent.

We do have a few concerns – the land train for one. It looks a lot better and less intrusive than we feared it might – or still could but it would be nice to know it will look like that and there’s no question of it doing other than going from A to B and back and that having it buzzing all over the WHS won’t be considered.

We also wonder if this seductive vision of no fences, no ropes and apparently full access to the stones, that we’d all like, can actually prove viable? What about erosion? And security? How are they going to be dealt with?

But most of all we wonder about the fact the government has said all the good stuff like closing part of the road can’t happen unless the new Visitor Centre gets built! The latter doesn’t seem exactly a definite which means the good stuff might not happen either.

We’re certainly not alone in seeing the road closure as terribly important in it’s own right. Rescue and the Stonehenge Alliance for two! Surely, after all these years, a way can be found to treat the closure and grassing over of the road adjacent to the stones as THE UK heritage priority?

And just DOING it?

Here are our previous “Achievable Stonehenge” images which are just like the English Heritage video ones!

External links:
http://heritageaction.wordpress.com/
http://www.stonehenge-stone-circle.co.uk/
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/

Stonehenge Tour Guide

Thursday 11 November 2010

The English Heritage Travel Collection - 2011 Ancient Wessex Tour

The English Heritage Travel Collection - 2011 Ancient Wessex Tour
Dates: May 6–8, 2011
Erected between 3000 and 1600 BC, Stonehenge is the most eloquent testimony to the once dominant civilisations of the Stone and Bronze Ages. And what better way to unravel the mysteries of Stonehenge’s innermost circle than on a private tour in the company of an expert from English Heritage?

Stonehenge inner circle tour

Working in partnership with English Heritage, ACE has developed an exclusive portfolio of historical tours and cruises in Great Britain and Europe. Each tour offers a unique blend of cultural sight-seeing and explanatory talks, all under the guidance of an expert and experienced course director.




As well as inspecting Stonehenge's antique trilithons at close hand, our early morning visit will reveal how recent excavations have radically altered interpretations about this most monumental of temples.

The ceremonial landscape that lies around Stonehenge is richly suggestive of Wessex’s ancient patrimony: we will explore the Great Cursus, the henges of Durrington Wall and Woodhenge, and a handful of the great Bronze Age barrows that bestride the surrounding hills.

The majestic façade of West Kennet chambered long barrow, framed by two enormous quarry ditches, was constructed around 3650 BC – some four centuries before the first stones were raised at Stonehenge. Immediately to the west lies Avebury, the world’s largest pre-historic stone circle, further graphic confirmation of the outstanding engineering skills of our megalithic ancestors.

We stay in Salisbury at the 17th century three-star White Hart Hotel overlooking the famous mediaeval cathedral.

Itinerary

Day 1 Course assembles 1600 for two nights at Mercure White Hart Hotel, Salisbury. Evening: sherry reception followed by course introduction.
Day 2 Early morning privileged visit to Stonehenge (inner circle) followed by Neolithic henge monuments of Durrington Walls and Woodhenge, Stonehenge Cursus, King Barrows (unexplored Bronze Age barrows), Stonehenge Avenue (ceremonial approach). Evening talk.
Day 3 Avebury Henge (huge earthwork enclosing three stone circles), Silbury Hill (largest man-made mound in Europe), West Kennet long barrow (early Neolithic chambered tomb). Course disperses 1700 at hotel.

Cost
Cost of £490 includes: accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, drinks reception, breakfast, two packed lunches & two dinners, special entry to Stonehenge, excursions & admissions (except English Heritage properties for non-members).

Click here for further details and to make a reservation:







For other similar tours you could try The Stonehenge Tour Company or for private guided tours you could try HisTOURies UK based in Salisbury and Bath.  For more information on Stonehenge try The Stonehenge Stone Circle Website


Stonehenge Tour Guide

Wednesday 10 November 2010

Countdown to doomsday. Stonehenge Winter Solstice 2012

Countdown To Doomsday 2012


Why would eclipses have been so important to the ancient people of Stonehenge? Perhaps they considered the darkening of the Sun or the Moon a fearsome event -- a celestial omen of doom or disaster. Many cultures have interpreted eclipses this way. But the sophistication of the astronomy of Stonehenge suggests that the builders had something different in mind. Their understanding of the solar and lunar cycles must have led to a high regard for the cosmic order.

For most parts of the year, the sunrise can't even be seen from the center of the monument. But on the longest day of the year, the June 21st summer solstice, the rising sun appears behind the Heel Stone, creating the illusion that it is balancing on the stone. The Heel Stone sits along the Avenue, that extends from the northeast corner of the main monument. The rising sun creeps up the length of the rock, creating a shadow that extends deep into the heart of five pairs of stone trilithons - two pillar stones with one laid across the top in the shape of a horseshoe that opens up towards the rising sun.
Just as the Sun clears the horizon, it appears to hover momentarily on the tip of the Heel Stone. A few days later, on midsummer's day, the sun will appear once again, but this time, it will begin to move to the right of the heel stone. The countdown to doomsday has begun. The same phenomenon happens again during the winter solstice, only it's in the opposite direction and at sunset.

In just 2 years (2012) due to the wobble of the earth on its axis and certain other important alignments, the giant Heelstone will no longer cast its shadow within the circle of stones. It will mean that time has run out.


Here is another video that was recently sent to me by a reader. I am posting it as is and leaving his comments below for you to read before you view this Mayan Calendar doomsday Video but I will say that I think his statement at the opening that this is a Definitive Doomsday link to Mayan prophecy (the Mayan Calendar, 2012 end of the world prophecy – that the world will end on December 21, 2012) is a little strong. nothing is definitive in this area in my opinion. Also The Mayan Calendar ending is a fact, Stonehenge is fact (it exists) even UFO's are a fact (The fact is that UFO's are sited every year. We don't know if they are extra terrestrials or not but they are by definition unidentified flying objects) But Sumerians are someones theory just as planet x is. Not saying they are good or bad theories or ideas. just pointing out the mixing of fact and non fact in this piece


Here is his write up on the video:


Definitive Doomsday link to Mayan prophecy found during expedition to date some of the Stonehenge carvings using Carbon Dating. Some visible to the naked eye and some very worn, requiring laser scanning to enhance their images. The Mayan calander, the Sumerians, and Stonehenge, among others, all predict the End of Days, or Doomsday on December 21, 2021. They all date back to a specific point in time. Stonehenge has been dated back to having been built 3100 BC, The Mayan Calander has been dated back to 3100 BC, and the Sumerian written language has been dated as first appearing in the year 3100 BC. Now all three support the end on December 21, 2012


December 21, 2012 represents the date of the end of the original use of Stonehenge as a timing device. The exact date of the last Winter solstice that will reflect light into stonehenge. One more piece to the doomsday puzzle has been presented with scientific based evidence. Whether the world is doomed to come to an end or not, I do not have the answer, but one thing is for certain, something is going to happen.

The Stonehenge connection to the Maya Civilization and Sumerians is too strong to ignore. Stonehenge is a sophisticated astronomical observatory, which can predict with pinpoint accuracy, the alignments of the stars as well as solar and lunar eclipses. The recent archeological findings of Sumerian numerals carved into the stones and Radio Carbon dated to 3100 BC are a definitive link to both the Sumerians as well as the Mayans.

Maya Civilization was involved in research that predicted a return date of Nibiru passing Earth coinciding with the Winter Solstice of 2012; specifically at 11.11 UT, 21st December 21, 2012

The term "Nibiru" comes from the Sumerian cuneiform tablets and writings dating 5,000 years old. The term Nibiru means "Planet of the crossing", and it's cuneiform sign was often a cross, or various winged disc. Some authors believe that the observations of ancient astronomers provide proof that Nibiru is an actual planet or brown dwarf in our solar system. These claims are for the most part dismissed as fringe science or pseudoscience by the mainstream scientific communities of archaeology and astronomy. According to theories of Sumerian cosmology, Nibiru was the twelfth member in the solar system family of planets (which includes 10 planets, the Sun, and the Moon). It was the home of a technologically advanced human-like alien race, the Anunnaki of Sumerian myth who survived and later came to Earth, subsequently genetically engineered our species. Their travelling to earth was the result of their failing atmosphere.



More links:
http://www.the2012discovery.com/
http://www.2012-doomsday-predictions.com/
http://www.stonehenge-stone-circle.co.uk/
http://www.stonehengetours.com/html/stonehenge-winter-solstice-tour.htm

The Worlds gone mad................................
Stonehenge Tourist Guide

Thursday 4 November 2010

Stonehenge Inner Circle Tours. The best way to experience Stonehenge!

Stonehenge Access Tours - A unique opportunity!
2013 Stonehenge Private Access Dates released.If you are planning to visit Stonehenge Stone Circle in 2013 then plan ahead and book a special 'inner circle' access tour

Book an exclusive private viewing of Stonehenge. Stepping inside the "inner circle of stones" is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Tickets are limited and each group consists of 26 (morning) or 40 (afternoon) with your own guide. With a choice of sunrise or sunset viewings, and private access to the inner circle of stones, your visit to Stonehenge is sure to be a memory you'll cherish. As an added bonus, you'll avoid the huge crowds.


Private Viewing of Stonehenge - Click here to book

Most visitors to Stonehenge are not allowed direct access to the stones. On this special day trip from London, you'll be invited to enter the stone circle itself, and stand beside the mysterious rocks towering above you. Your guide will unlock the secrets of this ancient UNESCO World Heritage Listed monument. Enjoy the peace, away from the crowds, as you experience Stonehenge at its atmospheric best at sunrise or sunset. Availability is strictly limited so book early, as private viewings regularly sell out and operate on selected days in 2012/2013 only.

Lacock
Lacock is one of England's most picturesque villages, dating back to the Saxon era. The village has provided the setting for many movies and television dramas, including Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Take a walk before enjoying an early evening meal (or breakfast for sunrise departures) in the George, a vintage English pub built in 1361. Note, meals are at your own expense.

Bath
Bath is beautiful Georgian city, and also on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Its most celebrated resident is Jane Austin, and Bath was her birthplace and inspiration for several novels. You'll have time to visit Bath Abbey and the magnificent Roman Baths, or simply shop and explore. You also have the option of taking a walking tour to see where Charles Dickens lived and worked as a young man, and to sample fresh cheeses from the local dairy







If you prefer not to travel as part of a group you could always organise a private tour that include access into Stonehenge inner circle - ideal for families and small groups.   The 'Stonehenge Tour Company' have an excellent record with many years experience - click here


Stonehenge Tourist Guide