Stonehenge

I had visited Stonehenge 33 years ago and you could drive right up to it.  Now there is a huge interactive Exhibition Centre, large restaurant and reconstructed Neolithic village.  The place hosts more than one million visitors each year.  Fortunately then that it is well protected.

It was a beautiful day but very windy and chilly.  Beanie to the rescue.

This is the Exhibition Centre.

It very cleverly explains the changes that the Salisbury Plain has undergone over the past 5000 years.

Neolithic burial excavated near Stonehenge.

Fantastic way to show how they think the huge sarsen blocks were transported here.

A great reconstruction of some of the village excavated nearby which existed at the time Stonehenge was erected.

Not as comfy as my bed.

A view over the Salisbury Plain, showing some of the barrows (burial mounds).

We rode a shuttle bus the mile to the actual monument.

And here it is, just so impressive.  It is roped off to visitors but we did the audio tour and walked right around it.  Just mind boggling that ancient people could do this 4,000 years ago.  And we don't know why.

Here I am, a little windswept!

Some of the largest stones are 7 metres tall and were buried another 2 or more metres into the ground.

We got pretty close here, even windier.

Love it.

The Beginning of my European Adventure.

The time for my overseas trip including the next Whitecroft Jane Austen tour has finally arrived!

Here I am dressed and ready to leave Adelaide with Helen Campbell (a bit excited). The flights are soooo long and the conditions so cramped and uncomfortable, it is such a relief to finally arrive.

We hired a car and drove from Heathrow airport to the beautiful market town of Salisbury in Wiltshire.  Thanks to Helen for driving.  Getting used to the car, especially the Sat Nav, took some doing.

We stayed overnight at Qudos Hotel in Salisbury.

My Room was very comfy and the bed was very welcome.

The hotel was within sight of the Cathedral, something to look forward to visiting the next day.

I enjoyed the pleasant walk to get to the Cathedral Close.  Here are some images.

Check out this hilarious Stonehenge made out of fudge.

Then we reached the location of the magnificent Salisbury Cathedral.  Built quite quickly between 1220 and 1258, the Cathedral in the early English Gothic style, has the tallest spire in the United Kingdom.  It is massive.

The interior is also impressive with soaring layers of arches.

The vaulted ceiling about the choir is painted with beautiful medallions.

A new quilt design in the stained glass?

The octagonal shaped Chapter House contains a beautiful original version of the Magna Carta, transcribed on sheepskin (no photos allowed of this precious document).

I loved the floor tiles.

The cloisters:

We then visited the Cathedral Close.  Gorgeous houses and gardens.  Love it all.

We then visited Mompesson House now maintained by the National Trust.  This beautiful eighteenth century house was used as a movie set in Emma Thompson's 1995 film adaptation of Jane Austen's "Sense and Sensibility".  It was the location of Mrs Jennings' London townhouse.  How exciting.

I want to watch the film again!  This staircase was featured.

More to show you tomorrow.