Go to Stonehenge!
 

After much research (including this and other forums) I had decided to visit Avebury rather than Stonehenge on my recent (first) trip to England. Lots of people said it was too comercialized, couldn't get close to the stones, etc. and that Avebury was better because you could wander around, the stone circle was much larger (it does circle the whole town). Well, we did go to Avebury and it was nice. The next day I realized we were only about 10 miles from Stonehenge and, although it was after closing time, you could see it from the road so we went. It was wonderful. No comparison with Avebury. The stone circle is much more awesome (it does look just like all the pictures). There is a chain link fence seperating it from the road but it's so close you can see it fine (everyone was climbing the fence to get a good photo, and except for the one person who actually went over the fence, the security guard didnd't seem to care). Since it was officially "closed" there were no crowds, just about 20 people who had parked by the side of the road. It really is magnificent. Maybe it was better because we were there without crowds but it really is worth seeing. In the summer it stays light out till almost 10 pm in England so there's plenty of time to visit after closing. The Avebury stones are singular, spaced 20 or more feet apart and a lot of them are missing. It might has been great once when they really made a compelte circle of the town, but now it is just interesting, not like Stonehenge. Just my opinion but since I came across so many negataive opinions about Stonehenge I thouht someone might want the other view. <BR>

Ann, I concur. I would've skipped Stonehenge had it been up to me but my husband HAD to see it. We went to Avebury first and then to Stonehenge the next day. They make a good complement to each other. We were even there with crowds (not too huge, it was after all last October). Being close to the stones and on that slight hill in the plains is special. I'd been prepared to have it be awful because of what so many have written here, but it was wonderful. So glad you wrote your message.

THANK YOU! Ann, I completely agree! I was moved by Stonehenge. I was in London March 1999 and made the train ride and the bus ride to Stonehenge. Although my stay in London was only for one week, it was completely worth the day trip to see it.

Thank you Ann. I'm going to be visiting the British Isles in 2 years and had thot that we would bypass Stonehenge because of some of the things we had read here. We will visit it. <BR>

Ann, I'm with you: I liked Stonehenge. I believe this (like most things in life) is largely a function of expectations. I had heard Stonehenge was no big deal, so that's what I expected, and was pleasantly surprised at how impressive it was. But had I gone there expecting it to blow me away, I might have been disappointed. I definitely think it's worth a look as long as people don't expect too much.

I heard recently that they may be taking down some of the fences around the stones to extend access. This will bring it back to the state when I visited in my youth. You definately get a more awe inspiring feel when you can move amongst and through the stones rather than around them. They are also trying to get the road rerouted to put Stonehenge back into a more rural context.

My husband is interested in visiting Stonehenge; we're contemplating a trip to England in March. Does anyone know whether tours to Stonehenge run out of London in March, as we were hoping not to take trains/rental cars for this side trip? Thanks for any input.

I'm not a New Age kind of person, but I found Stonehenge had a very male feel to it - I got the strong impression that this was a place that men built and where they gathered...it wasn't anti-female, just very profundly male. Because of that, I found it very interesting - and I did get fairly close to the stones. A blind woman was visiting also, and a guide took her into the circle so she could touch the stones, which made my experience more profound (wishing I was she, glad I wasn't, feeling so pleased for her, so sorry for her...eesh a lot more than I bargained for). <BR> <BR>I took my sister another time, and she felt very weird while there (she's a pretty good empath, but denies it) and couldn't wait to leave. <BR> <BR>I never know whether to recommend a trip to Stonehenge or not - do I give them a headsup about the 'vibes', or let them experience the place unencumbered? Will they feel nothing, and see it as a mysterious stone circle? <BR> <BR>Anyone else ever 'felt' anything there?

Yes elvira, I felt 'something'. Never spoke to anyone about it because I thought it was kind of weird. I wish I were a poet so I could explain without using the same old trite words, but I'm not. I can only say it was 'spiritual'; not much different than those rare experiences I've had in a church or religious gathering. <BR>My wife felt none of this, she just thought it was a really 'cool' place.

My daughter did a coach daytrip from Victoria Station in April 1998 that went to Bath, Salisbury, and Stonehenge. She loved it.

I insisted on visiting Stonehenge against my husband's advice during a 1998 trip to England . He had not been overly impressed on a prior visit. I truly enjoyed the visit despite crowds and access limits on the perimeter. The $6/pp entrance ticket also includes individual headphones w/audiotour. The narration was superb and truly descriptive of the history and mistery associated with the site. To me, an absolute do not miss.

I had visited Stonehenge 3 times and went to Avebury this past spring. They are both impressive and I would certainly recommend doing both. <BR> <BR>I also recommend the walk to the West Kennet Long Barrow - a neolithic burial chamber outside Avebury. No admission fee, just park your car along the road at the gate and walk thru the filed and up the hill - most likely you will have it all to yourself.

Here's another good word for Avebury. Though less immediately striking than Stonehenge (especially because we've all been psyched by innumerable photos of the latter), it's actually a more complex structure. It's not just one circle, but several (there are small circles within the main one) surrounded by a bank and ditch. Also, it's part of a large complex that includes the barrow mentioned by Steve, the Avenue (with standing stones), Windmill Hill (neolithic settlement), Silbury Hill (huge prehistoric moung -- purpose still unknown), and more. For anyone with an interest in archaeology, it's worth buying an explanatory guidebook and spending some time figuring it all out.

Oops, typo -- Silbury Hill is a mound. Of course, I could just try to pass off "moung" as a specialized archaeological term -- a young mound, perhaps.

Moung=young mound. Cute, KT! :-)

That's an interesting point, Elvira and Herb. I think it's the 'feeling' that makes Stonehenge so special and powerful... so being able to touch the stones would make no difference to me. That some people can describe it as a "pile of rocks" would seemingly say they got no such feeling.

Lynn: <BR> <BR>Yes, I believe you can take a tour in March. We took one this February from London to Stonehenge and Bath. I loved it. You can check out my pictures at tmeves.freeservers.com.

Elvira - have you read the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon? Having been to Stonehenge when I was younger and we were able to walk amongst the stones, it was hard to believe that Diana was writing a fictional story. In the story Claire "goes through" some standing stones and lands up 200 years back in Scotland ... try it, most people I know are now hooked on the series and eagerly awaiting her next two books! Esme

I took a tour with EVAN EVANS company in '97, leaving from Russell Sq. area. Quite nice, tours through Salisbury, Stonehenge and Bath. Of course, not enough time in Bath, but there you have it. Specify that your coach (bus) has a 'loo, as it is a fairly long trip. You will stop for lunch and if you have a pint or two (or three) you will want the restroom option. This was in March. <BR> <BR>A year or two later I wanted to take my daughter with me, same time of year, and it was a different story from the first, though the same tour. The coaches were overbooked and most did not have facilities, in the end we cancelled out and I've regretted it since. <BR> <BR>Do check, though, on the number of people booked and on the rest room.