All photos were taken last April, during my UK visit.
‘Used max 3 optical zoom, Sony Point and Shoot camera
Did you know…
* Stonehenge was constructed in three phases.
* It has been estimated that the three phases of the construction required more than thirty million hours of labour.
* Speculation on the reason it was built range from human sacrifice to astronomy.
Quick guide
Age estimated at 3100 BC
Location Wiltshire, UK
OS Reference SU 122 422
Type of stone Bluestone, Sarson, Welsh Sandstone
Worship Lunar, Solar
Access English Heritage - there is a charge to visit the stones
Extra notes Except on special occasions, visitors are unable to walk amongst the stones
See the little black bird?
FAQs on Stonehenge
Did the Druids build Stonehenge?
The stones were built by three different cultures, Windmill, First Wessex and the Beakers - so named because when they buried their dead they had their pots interred with them.
Why has one of the stones got a smooth base?
One of the stones has experienced a lot of wear over the years and to support it and to prevent it from falling, a concrete core was put in to keep it upright. This was done in 1959.
Where are the Bluestones? None of them look blue?
The Bluestones are the smaller inner stones, which originate from Preselli mountains in Wales, and when they become wet they turn blue.
When did the ropes go up around the stone circle?
The ropes were erected around the stones in 1978 to help protect the stones from further damage.
Is Stonehenge the largest stone circle?
Stonehenge is not the largest stone circle in the world but it is the only one that has lintels around the top, making this unique.
Why was it built here?
There is no explanation as to why the site was chosen. Various theories have been put forward but no conclusive evidence has been found to support them.
Why can’t we go into the centre circle?
The stone circle has had a lot of footfall over the past few centuries and for conservation purposes it has to be roped off. We do, however, have out of hours Stone Circle Access which allows us to monitor numbers.
Why do we have to pay as this is our heritage?
The stone circle was given to the government in 1918 by Sir Cecil Chubb with the provision that a charge was to be made to pay for the upkeep.
What happened to the rest of the stones?
A lot of the original stones have been taken by our ancestors to build their houses and roads. Also, a lot of stones have been chipped away by visitors and taken away as souvenirs over the past couple of hundred years.
~~Inside of the stone, it was raining but it didn’t turn blue…maybe it wasn’t wet enough?~~
~~Would have been a fantastic experience (or course maybe shot) if it wasn’t foggy, if we were closer to the hills and it was summer. Even missed seeing those famous crop circles! Curved out of the chalk hills, white horses such as this are a feature of Wiltshire landscape. ~~
grabe astig! pati ako napapatalon
iRonnie said
July 26 2007 @ 1:22 pm
i read na it was made so as the people could predict when will the solstice be. as well as the equinox.
RennyBA said
July 26 2007 @ 11:09 pm
What a lovely post and great pictures! You know I love to learn about things like this and therefore I thank you so much for all the details. Very readable!
Ruth said
July 27 2007 @ 5:59 am
one of my dream destinations! haay, inggit ako!
toni said
July 27 2007 @ 6:14 pm
gusto ko rin ‘to makita. parang napaka-magical ng lugar na ‘to. sigh. ang ganda thess! nakakaintriga ang pictures.
chelsea said
July 28 2007 @ 11:47 pm
its like being warped thru time :)
"J" said
July 29 2007 @ 12:26 am
Ate Theeeesssssiiiieeeeee!!!! I was revived! (Thought I was dead and playing with the mumu(s)). How’s darling Charlie? Can I have him now? I’m trying to catch up with your previous postings…I realized I’ve missed a lot. Thanks for not forgetting.
thess said
July 29 2007 @ 10:04 am
IRONNIE: well, archiological evidence has indicated that the monument is astronomically aligned. If it was placed for solstice and equinox points, I feel that only the builders knew that because the stones’ significance is still very much under debate.
)
Kanya-kanyang theories din ang mga ‘experts’, hindi mo malaman sino paniniwalaan mo. (yun pala picknick ground lang yun oh, for yearly bbq *lame lame mais mais*
RENNYBA: I also got interested to know more about ancient ruins/places like this, thanks to The Discovery Channel. Isn’t mother earth one big ball of mystery?
RUTH: sayang, hindi mo pala nadalaw nung nandito ka pa sa europe.
TONI: then I wish you could visit it, soon!
CHELSEA: cgro nga…the atmosphere was different when I was there. I felt peace and full of questions! Thanks for leaving a comment, Chelasea. I’ll visit you, soon.
J: hey beauty!! God to know you’re back. Syempre fowgeeh pa rin si Charlie, he’s turned 3 last June and still very very naughty.
‘will visit you , soon!
tutubi said
August 1 2007 @ 12:23 pm
read somewhere it’s perfectly aligned with something. like a calendar
but my friends still think it’s the headquarters of the X-Men’s arch-nemesis :)
love to go there someday. i love the ancient world
Eloise said
August 1 2007 @ 7:08 pm
dom OSB said
August 2 2007 @ 12:41 am
ey thess…
i gotcha!..heheheh-binalikan ko post ni ronnie and then presto-klik ko yung name mo sa comments section–kaya heto ako dumadalaw din sa site mo–ay sa nederland ka pala ngekkkk,sori akala ko nasa pinas ka eh, anyways- may napansin ako sa pics ng mga stones na nakatayo– without really reading your texts - bakit yung last ay may parang metal na nasa loob nito? replica na lang ba yun talaga? ay sori sa aking pagka ignorante heheheh– nice blog and site–nag subscribe ako sa feed mo at kung mamarapatin mo ay add kita sa bloglinks ko ha?….have a nice day thess…
thess said
August 2 2007 @ 9:20 am
TUTUBI: correct, astronomically aligned ang stones pero puro theories pa rin about its significance. I hope it remains a mystery na lang, kj ko ano?
If ever you visit this part of England, be sure to bring your best zoomlenses and visit in the summer, para makakita ka rin ng crop circles! too early or too late in the year isn’t for photographers :-)
ELOISE: yes dear, magical nga like they say. I hope when you go to europe, you’ll also secure a visa for UK na rin!
DOM: hello dom!! nahuli ako!
ay oo, nakakalat ako sa page ng kapatid ko sa ilong nyahaha! 2 kayong nag react na akala metal ang inside part, stone din sya, mas polished keysa sa outside layer at original lahat ng stones! nung mga panahon na wala pa’ng nagbabantay sa Stonehenge, inuuka ng mga visitors ang mga bato, most of them kumukuha ng souvenirs, as I understood, yang open na bato ay isa sa mga na-vandalized. And just left open for current admirers to see the inside. May rope na ang surrounding ng mga bato, hindi na ito pwede lapitan sa ngayon maliban na lang kung may special permit.
Dom, salamat sa link up, basta nasa secret link na din kita..have a nice day too!!
dom OSB said
August 4 2007 @ 12:36 am
ei thess
ay ganun ba yun? akala ko solid metal siya na parang suporta lang sa inner na stones whatever, at super kinis nga ang bato to the point na nagmukha itong solid steel pati ang kulay nya kasi ay rustic na rustic bah…but i guess ganun ata ang bato noon… ito ay isang kagila gilalas na gawain ng mga naunang tao sa ating mundo hahahahahah—ang galeng galeng nila nohhh! :)