Stonehenge Sunrise

I woke up about 5am, and as it was cold but bright I decided to visit Stonehenge, a few minutes drive away. The main blip picture is a close up of the sun shining on the stone circle and casting long shadows. The extra is a view of the surrounding area and of the sun over the brow of the hill.

There has been a structure of some sort at Stonehenge since 8,500BC, with the construction of a circular ditch with an inner and outer bank, built about 3000 BC. 

About 2500 BC the stones were set up in the centre of the monument. Two types of stone are used at Stonehenge – the larger sarsens and the smaller ‘bluestones’. The sarsens were erected in two concentric arrangements – an inner horseshoe and an outer circle – and the bluestones were set up between them in a double arc.

Many cremations and burials have been found near the stones, with many burial mounds/barrow chambers built in the vicinity and in use from about 2400BC (early bronze age). There are trackways/causeways leading to the stones that appear to suggest that the stone circle was part of a ritual.

It has also been suggested that the Stone Circle had other uses. Today, the interpretation of Stonehenge which is most generally accepted is that of a prehistoric temple aligned with the movements of the sun.

Later in the morning, we set off on an 11 mile walk along footpaths from our campsite to The Bridge Inn, Upper Woodford and then back via Chain Hill, near Stapleford back to our starting point. The weather was glorious but about 3 miles from finishing we were caught in a hailstorm. It was sleeting - we got absolutely soaked!

In the evening we visited The Bell (Wetherspoons) in Amesbury where we enjoyed a hot meal and refreshemnts before joing up with the family group around the campfire under the stars. They have some amazing large black & white photo's from the 1930's of Stonehenge on the wall of the pub.