After being in England for 6 months we finally took the opportunity to visit the infamous prehistoric rocks that have put Salisbury on the map, yes, that would be Stonehenge. Archaeologists believe that the circle of standing stones were erected in 2200BC. There were many theories of how they were built. As the stones were not indigenous to the area, it was believed that they were moved upriver on logs, and then rolled by many men on logs across the hilly landscape using thirty million man hours and 3 construction phases to be built on the spot where they rest today. The spot just 13 km outside of Salisbury had significance because of where the sun's rays touch the centre of the rocks during summer solstice.
Now, many people say that they are just a bunch of standing rocks, but to us, they had somewhat of a mystical quality. Jutting out from the green landscape of the English countryside, the circles of stones and outlying monuments emit a power that must have been ingrained in the site itself. But it is a magnetism that can't be explained by architecture alone. Much of Stonehenge's intrigue stems from the fact that the stones are so shrouded in mystery, a characteristic that is magnified by its age.
Following stonehenge we visited the quaint town of Salisbury and took a tour through Salisbury Cathedral. Outside the cathedral was this neat marble statue that looked like a full moon.
Salisbury Cathedral, one of the first medieval churches in the UK and has the tallest spire is also the home of the best preserved copy of the Magna Carta. The Magna Carta was written in 1212 and was the first written document of principles that later formed the basis of national constitutions, including America's Declaration of Independence. Most of its clauses deal with specific, and often long-standing, grievances rather than with general principles of law. Some of the grievances are self-explanatory: others can be understood only in the context of the feudal society in which they arose (i.e. "no widow shall be compelled to marry, so long as she wishes to remain without a husband").
The cathedral itself was fantastic. It had amazing blue stained glass at the back and a long nave that is apparently extensive. While we were there an exhibition of wood carving was in the front of the nave so we didn't get to see the full expanse, but we could imagine it.
We had to head back to catch a train home, but on the way we walked along the stratford river and caught some swans enjoying the sunset.
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