Tuesday 27 November 2012

Stonehenge Winter Solstice. 21st December 2012


English Heritage will once again allow people access to Stonehenge for the celebration of the Winter Solstice, the first day of the winter season. Sunrise is at 8.09am on Friday 21 December and visitors will be able to access the monument as soon as it is light enough to do so safely. Entrance will be available from roughly 7.30am until 9am, when the site will close - before re-opening as per usual to paying visitors at 9.30am.
The exact time of the Solstice this year, when the Earth’s axial tilt is farthest away from the sun, is at 11.11am on 21 December, however it is generally accepted that the celebration of this special event takes place at dawn and therefore access is permitted at Stonehenge earlier that morning.

Over the last few years, the popularity of Winter Solstice has grown considerably, with many families and young people joining the druid and pagan community in the celebrations.

Peter Carson, Head of Stonehenge, said: “We are delighted to offer people a warm welcome to Stonehenge this Winter Solstice but as facilities are limited, we are not able to accommodate any more people than last year. We don't have the luxury of using nearby fields in winter for parking and encourage people to make use of the special bus service running from Salisbury. We are working very closely with the local authorities and agencies plus the druid and pagan community to ensure that access to Stonehenge will once again be a success.”

Additional notes
Access may not be possible if the ground conditions are considered poor or if it is felt that access might result in severe damage to the monument.
Public have in previous years used byway 12 for parking on the morning of 21st December. Additional car parking for approximately 800 cars will be available on the A344 (which will be closed to through traffic), plus the Stonehenge Visitor Centre Car Park.

Stonehenge Tour Guide

Monday 19 November 2012

Explore the Bronze Age monuments of the Stonehenge landscape

Explore the Bronze Age monuments of the Stonehenge landscape (24th November 2012) with Sonia Heywood ' you'll soon discover that they are much more than simple burial mounds. Investigated by curious antiquarians in the last 300 years, they have a 4,000 year history that tells us much about our past. On our four mile walk we'll be visiting the Cursus Barrows, Winterbourne Stoke Barrows and the Monarch of the Plain. We'll also have fine views of the King Barrows and Normanton Down Barrows.All walks are booking essential. Details such as start points will be sent on booking.

General Details
Meeting at the Stonehenge car park (not NT) by the bright green National Trust information panel. A car parking charge applies for non-members of the Trust or English Heritage.
Dress for the weather and wear stout footwear.
Access is by pedestrian gates; most terrain is grassland, often uneven underfoot. Cattle and sheep graze the gently sloping downs. Please note, we may be crossing the A344 road, at your own risk.
Accompanied children welcome - YACs free
Dogs on leads welcome
This walk is run in partnership with Salisbury & South Wiltshire Museum - accompanying artefact handling sessions are available at the museum, priced £6, or £5 if booked alongside this walk. Contact the Museum on 01722 233151 or see www.salisburymuseum.org.uk for information and to book.

 For details and to book, contact our booking office on 0844 249 1895.

Stonehenge Tour Guide

Tuesday 13 November 2012

Will the world end on the Winter Solstice 2012, like the Mayan Calendar?


The end of the world in 2012?

Many prophecies about the end of the world surround this date because it corresponds to the last day of the Mayan calendar.
The Mayan calendar finishes one of its great cycles in December 2012, which has fueled countless theories about the end of the world on this years Winter Solstice  (December 21st 2012 11:11)

End of days?
Will the world keep spinning after the
Maya Calendar ends?
Most likely!

©iStockphoto.com/Igor Tchaikovsky
One theory suggests a galactic alignment which would create chaos on Earth because of the gravitational effect between the Sun and the Black hole called Sagittarius A, which is located at the center of our galaxy.
Another theory involves a 'polar shift', which means a reversal of the north and south magnetic poles. Scientists believe that the Earth is overdue for a geomagnetic reversal. However this can take up to 5,000 years to complete and does not start on any particular date.
Just a new beginningNASA scientists have been thoroughly studying and analysing the possibility of the Earth ending in 2012, but concludes that 21st December 2012 it will be nothing more than a normal December solstice.
There is simply no scientific evidence to support any claims of an apocalypse on Earth in December 2012.

No planetary alignment
In response to theories about planetary alignments leading to an apocalypse on Earth on December 21, 2012, the scientists say no planetary alignments will occur in the next few decades. But even if they did, the effects on our planet would be negligible.
NASA also say the 'polar shift' theory is totally impossible. Although continents move slowly throughout time, a magnetic reversal is very unlikely to happen in the next few millennia and wouldn’t cause any harm to life on Earth.
The scientists conclusion is that the end of the Mayan calendar does not imply the end of the world, only the end of the Mayan long-count period. The 'long count' is a part of the Maya calendar shaped like a wheel. When we reach the end of the wheel, it will simply turn to the beginning again, just like our modern Gregorian calendar starts again every January 1st

Solstice’s influence on cultures

The December solstice has played an important role the lives of many people in ancient times. To this day, the world is still influenced by various traditions linked to the observance of the December solstice.

Wiltshire Crop Circle Connection ?

A curious crop circle formation that appeared near Avebury Stone Circle  in 2008 links our solar system this December 2012.
Strange goings on..........................




Links:
http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/2012.html

http://www.december212012.com/
http://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/maya-world-end.html
http://www.stonehengetours.com/html/stonehenge-winter-solstice-tour-2012.htmhttp://www.visit-stonehenge.org/2010/11/countdown-to-doomsday-stonehenge-winter.html


"There apparently is a great deal of interest in celestial bodies, and their locations and trajectories at the end of the calendar year 2012. Now, I for one love a good book or movie as much as the next guy. But the stuff flying around through cyberspace, TV and the movies is not based on science. There is even a fake NASA news release out there... I will be at Stonehenge for the Winter Solstice on December 21st and hope to see December 22nd


Stonehenge Tour Guide

Monday 5 November 2012

Stonehenge work begins at Longbarrow A303 roundabout


Six months of work to a roundabout near Stonehenge in Wiltshire has started.

New lanes are being added to the Longbarrow roundabout, at the junction of the A360 and A303, and its centre is to be realigned.

The work is part of a £27m project to build a visitor
centre and close the A344 beside the monument
The work is part of a £27m project to build a visitor centre and close the A344 beside the monument

The Highways Agency says the work is needed in preparation for the closure of the A344 which runs beside the Stonehenge monument.

It is part of a £27m project to build a visitor centre and also grass over the stretch of road near the stones.
The 3,500-year-old World Heritage site receives more than one million visitors a year.
Once the A344 has been shut, the northern and eastern approach to the roundabout will need to take the extra traffic caused by the closure.

Mark Arberry, from the Highways Agency, said: "This is an important contribution to the long term management plan for Stonehenge to improve the setting of the monument and ensure its preservation as an iconic World Heritage Site."

Full article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-20202498

Stonehenge Tour Guide