Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, about 8 miles (13 km) north of Salisbury. One of the most famous prehistoric sites in the world, Stonehenge is composed of earthworks surrounding a circular setting of large standing stones. The standing stones were erected around 2200 BC and the circular bank and ditch has been dated as far back as 3100 BC.
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.
Stonehenge is associated with Druidism and other forms of paganism. Today tourists visit the site at the time of the summer and winter solstice to truly appreciate it's purpose.
In 1987 the English Heritage took over the site and now visitors are no longer permitted to touch the stones, but merely walk around the monument from a short distance.
Opening times :
Spring 16 Mar to 31 May
09.30 - 18.00
Summer 1 Jun to 31 Aug
09.00 - 19.00
Autumn 1 Sept to 15 Oct
09.30 - 18.00
Winter 16 Oct to 15 Mar
09.30 - 16.00
Boxing Day and New Year's Day
10.00 - 16.00
Getting there by rail:
The nearest train station to Stonehenge is Salisbury about 9.5 miles away.
From London the trains depart from Waterloo Station to Salisbury.
Once you are at Salisbury you can reach the site by car or taxi.
By Bus:
The buses depart from Heathrow Airport and from Victoria Coach Station in the centre of London. The journey takes about 2 hours.
Get off at Amesbury.
From there you can either walk (about 2 miles), catch a local bus, or get a taxi.
Coming from the airports:
If you are coming from Gatwick Airport you will need to first get to Heathrow Airport or to Victoria coach station (you can do this by bus) and from there change buses to Amesbury.
By Car:
From Amesbury the site is 2 miles west on the junction of A303 and A344/360.
Photo courtesy of Wiltshire Tourism
