Thursday 20 October 2016

NEW: Full-Day Tour of Salisbury, Stonehenge and Avebury departing from Salisbury

See the ancient wonder of Stonehenge in modern comfort. This tour will show you the ancient Magna Carta dating back to 1220. The tour dives into the depths of history and discovers the how, when, where and why of Stonehenge & ancient past of humans, from Neolithic Man to the present day. Stonehenge and Avebury in Wiltshire are among the most famous groups of megaliths in the world. The two sanctuaries consist of circles of menhirs arranged in a pattern whose astronomical significance is still being explored. These holy places and nearby Neolithic sites are an incomparable testimony to prehistoric times.
English heritage and many sites of historic and cultural interest, including Stonehenge and the medieval city of Salisbury with its famous Cathedral and
The full-day tour starts at 9am from Salisbury train station or Central Car Park Coach Park in Salisbury.

It begins in the Medieval Cathedral City with all of its history and mystique where you enjoy a tour of the City before spending an hour at the Cathedral taking in the tallest spire and the Magna Carta (subject to opening times) before departing at 10.15am for a brief stop at Old Sarum, the original City of Salisbury. This Iron Age settlement became Salisbury after visits from Saxons, Danes, Vikings and Normans. Old Sarum offers wonderful views over the City and the surrounding landscape. This is where King John had his garrisons in the early 1200s before the barons rose up against the King which resulted in the Magna Carta being sealed in 1215.

You will depart Old Sarum at approx. 10.40am and follow a narrow riverside road through a picturesque valley with its own history to tell. Here you can take in the many thatched cottages and begin to learn the history that surrounds Stonehenge.

Arriving at Stonehenge at 11.10am you will spend two hours experiencing the new visitor centre and the Ancient Stones before heading to Avebury.

En route to Avebury you will see the Alton Barnes White Horse (a large chalk carving in the hillside) before passing through Lockeridge (where the Sarcen stones originate that form part of Stonehenge & Avebury). You will also see Silbury hill, the largest manmade mound in Europe and the West Kennet longbarrow (an ancient Neolithic burial mound). If time & weather permit you will walk to the site and actually enter the burial mound.

At 2.15pm you arrive at Avebury where your guide will walk you over the site. Here you will try your hand at divining for spiritual leylines.

Leaving Avebury at 4.30pm you begin your return journey to Salisbury train station, Central Coach Park or a local hotel (if you are staying overnight). The tour will be completed at 5.30pm.

Location: Salisbury, United Kingdom 

Duration: 9 hours 

Voucher Redembtion: You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.  #

Departure and Return Details 

Departure Dates: Daily 

Commences: Salisbury, United Kingdom 

Departure Point: Salisbury Train Station & Central Coach Park 

Departure Time: 9:30am Salisbury Train Station (if you wish to have pick-up from the train station, please advise your arrival & departure rail times)
9:15am from Central Coach Park
8.30am to 8:50am from Hotels close to Cruise Terminal
Hotel pickups commence approximately 30 - 60 minutes prior to this time
Times are subject to change due to local traffic conditions.
Hotel pickups commence approximately 30 - 60 minutes prior to this time, exact pickup time will be advised on reconfirmation.
BOOK DIRECT WITH TRAVEL AGENT (From £150gbp): http://traveltoe.com/product_info.php/products_id/56206
The VisitWiltshire website also list guided tours of the Stonehenge area departing from Salisbury.
Need travel advice and Stonehenge tour recommendations? Email us on info@visit-stonehenge.co.uk

The Stonehenge Tourist Guide

Saturday 8 October 2016

WALKING THE DEAD: Exploring the Stonehenge Ceremonial Landscape

A family-friendly guided tour of the amazing collections of the Wiltshire Museum, followed by a guided walk from Durrington Walls to Stonehenge.
This full day tour is led by Museum Director, David Dawson. 28th October 2016

Tour of the galleries approx. one hour, lunch at the Museum followed by a three hour (approx. 4 miles) walk in the afternoon. Walk not suitable for pushchairs or wheelchairs.

The morning visit to the Museum starts at 11am and the walk begins at 2pm. We should reach the Stonehenge Visitor Centre at about 5.00pm.

£40 (£35 WANHS members).
Over 8s welcome (£15, £10 WANHS members) - under 18s

Further details of the itinerary:

11am: The day begins with coffee and a guided tour of the Wiltshire Museum. The early story of Wiltshire is told in new galleries featuring high quality graphics and leading-edge reconstructions. On display are dozens of spectacular treasures dating to the time of Stonehenge and worn by people who worship

12.30pm: a light lunch at the Museum. Please advise of any dietary requirements, restrictions or allergies.

1pm: leave for Durrington Walls. The walk will take approximately 3.5 hours, and starts at Durrington Walls and Woodhenge, close to the River Avon. The route passes the Cuckoo Stone, a megalithic standing stone, before following the Apple Track - a WW1 light railway. The route then passes the prehistoric Cursus, before passing the Bronze Age barrows of Kings Barrow ridge.

The route then follows the Avenue - the Neolithic ceremonial route that leads to Stonehenge following the line of the solstice.

At Stonehenge, you have three options:

1. Visit Stonehenge. This is free for English Heritage and National Trust members, but is not included in the cost. If you are not a member, then you should book your visit online from the English Heritage and you should choose a timed ticket for about 4.30 pm. You can then take the English Heritage shuttle bus to the Stonehenge Visitor Centre.
2. Continue to the Cursus barrows and the Western end of the cursus, before continuing to the Stonehenge Visitor Centre.
3. Take the English Heritage shuttle bus to the Stonehenge Visitor Centre and purchase a well-earned snack and cup of tea.

At about 5.30pm, at the end of the walk, there will be car-share transport back to your car at the start of the walk, or back to the Wiltshire Museum in Devizes. 

ed inside the stone circle.

Booking:

Essential.

Booking Options
Book online using Paypal (we will send an email confirming your payment and ticket details within the next few days)
Telephone – 01380 727369
Email – hello@wiltshiremuseum.org.uk
Visit – Wiltshire Museum, 41 Long Street, Devizes 


The Stonehenge Tourist Blog

Friday 23 September 2016

STONEHENGE CELEBRATES 30 YEARS AS A UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE

In 1986 Stonehenge and Avebury were among the first seven sites in the UK to be inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, recognising them as places of exceptional importance to all humanity.

In 2016, English Heritage, the National Trust, the Wiltshire Museum, CBA Wessex, the RSPB and others are all helping to celebrate this anniversary with events taking place throughout the year. The highlight will be a conference taking place in Devizes on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 November.
Speakers will include: Dr Alison Sheridan (National Museums of Scotland), Dr Serge Cassen (University of Nantes), Prof Tim Darvill (University of Bournemouth), Prof Vince Gaffney (University of Bradford), Dr Josh Pollard (University of Southampton), Julian Richards (Archaeologist and TV Presenter) and many more. The Conference will aim to celebrate the achievements of the past 30 years and look forward to what further discoveries we may find in the future.
The Conference is open to anyone and tickets can be booked using Eventbrite.
More information can be found about the Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site on the website www.stonehengeandaveburywhs.org/30th-anniversary-conference/
Over the past 30 years there have been a number of achievements by the many partners who share in the protection and enhancement of the Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site.
These include:
  • Around 750 ha of agricultural land in WHS have been reverted to pasture with a great deal of support from Defra/Natural England. Not only does this help to protect fragile archaeological remains but has also had the benefit of enhancing biodiversity.
  • A huge amount of archaeological research has revealed more about the landscapes of the WHS and expanded our knowledge and understanding of the Site
  • Silbury Hill was stabilised and conserved in 2007, making good the work undertaken by antiquarians of the 18th and 19th centuries and archaeologists of the mid 20th century alike.
  • In 2012 the Site was able to fulfil the UK Government’s commitment made at the time of inscription to close the A344 right next to the Stones at Stonehenge
  • A new award winning Visitor Centre opened at Stonehenge in 2013 and now receives over 1.3million visitors per year.
  • The governance of the WHS was strengthened with the creation of a Stonehenge and Avebury WHS Coordination Unit in March 2014 and the creation of a WHS Partnership Panel to oversee the work of the two parts of the WHS in February 2014.
  • In May 2015, Stonehenge and Avebury WHS produced their first joint Stonehenge and Avebury WHS Management Plan
To celebrate English Heritage are offering 30 people the chance to see Stonehenge from above in a tethered hot air balloon. Visit their website for details

The Stonehenge Tourist Guide