Stonehenge: A Visit Back in Time

One of the main reasons we rented a car last weekend was to see the infamous Stonehenge. The site is just a short stop-over on the way back to London from Bath, but it really isn't nearby anything and it's not easily accessible using public transportation. We could've booked a tour bus but we wanted the flexibility to arrive and go as we pleased.

Luckily, the trip was worth it. Stonehenge is the oldest thing that both of us have ever seen. It was built in 3100 BC but there is also a burial site with remains from 3000 BC.

The history of Stonehenge still remains a mystery to this day- what was its purpose? Many ideas and myths have evolved throughout the years and there are many debates about why it was constructed and how it was used. The stones were brought from areas in England that are miles away and placed in a calculated manner, and we will likely never know why.

Today, the site welcomes over 1 million visitors a year. There is a visitor's center that you first walk through with an exhibition and artifacts found around the site. The exhibit also has information that explains some of the theories or possible explanations. Then you make the roughly half mile trek up to see the stones.

You used to be able to walk freely around the stones: up to them and even through them. In 1977, they were roped off to protect the monument from erosion. Even though you can't walk right up to the stones anymore, Stonehenge is still incredible to see in person. It looks as it does in the pictures, but the only way I can think to describe it is that you have to "see it to believe it." When you are standing there looking at something that people built in 3100 BC, you are awe-struck by the age, purpose, impact and permanence of the stones. They've stood the test of time this long, and hopefully, will still be there for many more years to come.