tropicalkerry

We are driving from London to Bournemouth for a day to visit relatives.I just read that Stonehenge is about an hour from Bournemouth and checked a map. Is Stonehenge on the route we would take or is it just a little out of the way? Kinda hard to tell from the map...but while so close I think it shouldn't be missed.If off the direct route from London to Bournemouth, how long do you think it would require to get there, see it, and get back to where we left the direct route? Thanks for any help!

alanRow

Yup, - M3 then cut off onto the A303 for Stonehenge. Afterwards just point due south for Bournemouth. About 3 hours driving.

But why not make a day of it and visit Avebury & Salisbury as well

tropicalkerry

thanks Alan...so you think detouring to Stonehenge would take 3 hours?
We only have 2 full days in England...one for London, one for Bournemouth.
I'll check out the other 2 towns you mentioned...what makes them special? Think we could do Stonehenge, both towns and still see the relatives in Bourenmouth all in one day?

flanneruk

The detour doesn't add 3 hours, though. From where the M3 starts, the turnoff at J8, the section on the A303 and the southerly bit round (but not stopping in) Salisbury will add 90 mins max to a London-Bournemouth straight run on the M3, M27, A31.

Unless you do this very early or late, and book the Inner Circle trip through English Heritage, Stonehenge itself needn't take more than 30 mins.

However, unless you're planning to go to Salisbury while in Bournemouth, you shouldn't miss its cathedral. Not desperately outstanding inside (at any rate no more so than any other), but IMHO the best-looking of all from outside.

tropicalkerry

flanneruk:
thanks! so we can just drive there, get out of the car, look at it, and go?
thanks to for the tip about the cathedral, something else to see on the way!

flanneruk

Not really wanting to muscle in on the question to Alan, but here's my view:

1. Stonehenge. Possibly the most disappointing major site in Britain. You can only see it from a hundred yards or so distance, unless you take the very early Inner Circle tour - and the awful truth is, you've seen it loads of times in photos already. You need to drive there and see it from that distance to realise, and IMHO you'd be barmy to go so near and not do it. But there's rarely much value in tarrying there.
2. Avebury. Far more interesting, since you can walk round the stones (though almost all are 20th century concrete reconstructions). But VERY time consuming: the circle is much bigger and there's a whole pile of other neolithic remains within a mile or so. A terrific way of spending a day: of limited value if you've only got an hour or so, as you have. The stones aren't at all as photogenic as Stonehenge.

tropicalkerry

love how Brits talk!! Hope I'm correct in assuming you live there.
Think I can figure out what barmy means, just as i had to figure out what gobsmacked meant years ago, but barmy isn't a GOOD thing, correct?(i'd be nuts to not see it when so close is what you're saying?But no need to hang around...snap your photo and LEAVE)

derek49

My two cents on Stonehenge.
You are going to pay an admission fee to get near Stonehenge.You won't see anything from the parking lot across the highway. An audio guide is included in the admission and takes you on a counterclock walk around the stones. Why not do the walk and the audio tour? An hour at most, a half hour if you are in a hurry.

alanRow

Avebury - www.logoschristian.org/links/avebury.jpg

and the 3 hours is 3 hours from London to Bournemouth, the diversion to Stonehenge probably adds about 30 minutes driving time