Stonehenge ~ Wilshire County ~ England

Our travels of England took us all over the south and we saw some beautiful scenery and historical places that we had only read about, but none were as old or as mysterious as the stone circle of Stonehenge.  There are many questions about how Stonehenge came to be that may never be answered but the interest is obvious by the many visitors who come to see it every day. 

The birds fly over Stonehenge in England

Stonehenge is located in Wilshire County in southern England and along with the surroundings, it became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1986.  Stonehenge is owned by the crown and the surrounding countryside is owned by National Trust.  We do not have access to the stones now that it is behind a roped area due to erosion that was happening, but until 1977 it was open for all to walk among the stones.

Horseshoe of sarsen trilithons of Stonehenge

Stonehenge evolved from between 3000 BC to 1600 BC in three stages of development in pre-historic times. The lost culture left no written records so the real story is still a mystery but there have been several suggestions given as to explain it.

Circle of bluestones in Stonehenge

Stonehenge was built in three different stages forming the stones into a circle.  The first was the Circle of sarsen stones with lentels, the second one built was the Circle of bluestones then the Horseshoe of srsen trilithons followed. Pictures cannot show the size of these large stones but I have tried to show size comparisons with the visitors in the pictures, shown on the far side of the circle.

Stones of Stonehenge

Some suggest Stonehenge was constructed by the supernatural due to the size of the stones, but that has been debunked by archeologists and historians to not be so. There are stories of how the stones that made the second stage had been transported and delivered over land, sea and river from Wales.

Stonehenge in England

There have been findings that suggest it was a burial ground for 500 years from 3000 BC. It is believed it may have been a healing site in that time that would then become a burial ground due to the cremated bones that were found.

Stonehenge stands tall

There are many that believe it was a place of religion and perhaps a source of inspiration to those who came to visit. They could celebrate and worship among the stones and some do that even today. No one knows the real purpose but the mystical stories are likely enjoyed by most.

Mystery of Stonehenge in England

What is real about Stonehenge is that the stones align with the rising and setting of the sun at the solstices.  This suggests an astronomical reason for construction of Stonehenge, which may have been their time of worship.

Stonehenge in England

There are so many myths said about Stonehenge that I think we can only conclude that we may think anything we want to describe the reason it is here and the history surrounding it but as we walk about these huge rocks, we can only try to comprehend that these were brought here by people all those thousands of years ago. What an amazing site to see and to feel the magic in the air.