One of the things I get from watching US people in the UK is... just what I'm missing on my doorstep. I know these things exist, but because they are here in the UK, I've always though, yeah, but they are close I can see them anytime... I'm now nearly 60 and "anytime" is running out. Appreciate what you have, use it, love it!
It's very true I live 20 miles from Stonehenge and have lived in the area for 30 years... I only visited there in June 2021 even after being stuck on the A303 looking at it from a distance!
Don’t wait to visit, i left the UK in the 80’s and I’ve never visited Stonehenge. I’ve passed by on the main road several times since my family lives in Devon.
@@Reebus_ haha this is me. I have driven past the thing thousands of times and have cursed it as the cause of traffic, but have never been up close. And I love History!
I lived near Cheddar when I was a kid and we used to go to Glastonbury Tor and Stonehenge regularly, the good old days when you could walk amongst the stones, I still admire it when I drive down the A303.
The one and only time I went to Stonehege was on my 13th birthday being driven back to boarding school in Devon by my parents. I'm now 73 and have never forgotten that day - not a soul about and mist covering the stones.
Must be 50 years since we had a school trip to Stonehenge, Old Sarum, Salisbury Cathedral and Museum - all in one day! I do remember being able to walk among the stones and actually having our picnic lunch there on the grass. We used to drive past, almost every weekend, once I married - going from London to Devon to visit family, but by then it was roped off and had lost some of the attraction for me.
Me too BUT shame about the graffiti carved into the stones. That had to stop, even if some of it was a few centuries old and actually quite interesting.
It's a shame that it is generally not accessible any more, but I can understand why it's necessary, unfortunately. This is why we can't have nice things. Having said that, it's still possible to get right in the middle of the 'Henge if one is prepared to brave the throngs on the Summer Solstice or the weather on the Winter Solstice, when English Heritage have traditionally opened it up for the occasions. None of the festivals of yore mind you - camping is prohibited, the site is only opened up the night before and everyone must be gone by midday. So glad I had the opportunity to spend time there when there were no fences and no restrictions.
The nearby Avebury stone circle is quite interesting as well, and curiously, cuts through a small village. Silbury Hill is worth seeing too - a huge prehistoric man-made mound.
@@MacandBlair Avebury 'It does so overawe the much renowned Stonehenge, as a cathedral doeth a parish church' You were lucky to have so few other visitors, I suppose that's the pandemic.
@@MacandBlair You can walk freely around the stones, pose for photos etc. The only downside is that the main road cuts through so inevitably you need to carefully cross. I'd give it a day, some parts of the walk around are short climbs, mind the sheep poop:).
I live less than 20 miles from Stonehenge and probably haven’t been there for 40 years. Passed many times on the A303. Probably not alone when I say it’s a shame when you take local sites for granted. Will have to go there again soon.
If the people who originally moved the stones & constructed the Henge knew thousands of years later people from every corner of the globe would be visiting the site & marvelling at it's construction I'm thinking they'd be very proud & very happy. I'm glad you & your family enjoyed visiting one of the World's most powerful examples of our ancient ancestors ingenuity. ☺
I was in Salisbury recently. It lies on the confluence of *five* rivers (including being the highest navigable point of the Thames in a curragh/coracle). Given the diificulty of travelling in a country largely covered in forest and without roads, the builders of Stonehenge certainly knew how to get the punters to their attraction: by boat!
@@PeterWasted Thank you. Can you inform me if any of those are tributaries of the Thames? I have been told that Salisbury is the highest point a shallow-beamed craft (such as a coracle, or curragh) could reach if it departed from (say) Hampton Court. I *could* do the drudgery of following the voyage, mile by mile, on a map (and hoping the river courses and depths haven't altered overmuch since the Neolithic): but I'd be *really* grateful for any specialised info you can spare me, particularly if you're a student of the area.
I had a chance to see Stonehenge and Bath in 1999, my first trip to the UK and passed. My thinking? It's a bunch of rocks. The second trip was London only and then in 2017 my friend and I took a months trip to London and Paris. I may not ever make it back, age, health and so on, and we went to Stonehenge and Bath and I am SOOOOO glad I saw it. It truly is awesome. I have watched some National Geographic programs on Stonehenge and it's so neat to see where I was. And, I'm still wearing the socks I bought there. If you ever get a chance to visit, take it!!!!!!
I remember when Obama visited Stonehenge on his way home from a conference, he look absolutely thrilled and said he had 'ticked it off his bucket list'. Amazing place.
Remember going there as a kid with my family in about the late 50's. Opened a gate in a wire fence and walked through a field to get to it. Hardly anyone else there and nothing else except the stones in a field.
Thank you for posting. Interesting to hear an Americans point of view, and I’m glad you enjoyed your visits mate. I actually visited a couple of weeks ago. I’m English and was in the area so thought I’d pop along and have a look. Amazing place it is indeed.
I have been there a few times, last time I was there you did not pay to see them you could walk up to the stones and touch them remember putting my hand flat on these ancient stones. Other places I would recommend are Avebury and old sarum fort
So glad to have walked unhindered through those stones many years ago, so glad to have partied next to those stones,they should remove the fences and let people touch the stones.
My mum and dad visited stonehenge in the late 60s. You used to be able to walk among the stones. They took some amazing transparency slides as the sun set through stonehenge...I remember seeing the pictures as a child...we've lost them since 😭 !! Such a shame....wonderful video by the way!
I last visited in the late 1980's/early 90's are there were no restrictions on how close you could get then, also there was no museum site or info. Just as natural as could be. We just parked up on the main road & walked over to the HUGE stones. Great memories.
I grew up in the adjacent town, Amesbury, (of Amesbury Archer fame) and used to play inside the stones. I feel so privileged now! In that part of the world you can literally trip over the Neolithic and bronze age , its everywhere. Some Roman as well...and some....
I live quite close by and people are allowed on the Solstice, winter one too, to get up close and personal to honour the rising sun. There have been many UFO sitings in this area too! Lovely to see your family enjoying the site, it helps me see it with new eyes! Lots of love to you all.
My favourite stone monument is Pentre Ifan in Newport, West Wales. Well worth a visit. You could also have a look at the are of the blue stone mines nearby where Stonehenge was originally built and then moved to Salisbury.
Stonehenge is cosmically dramatic . . . . Avebury is 'down home'. Well worth a visit! Oh and if you come up Liverpool way again, Port Sunlight is a fascinating small village with a big history.
The latest research suggests that some of the stones for Stonehenge were possibly taken from existing circles in Wales and re used for the the new site in Salisbury. Can't now find the source for that, but read it earlier this year. Real nice aerial shots too thanks for sharing.
You should get down to Portsmouth and visit HMS Victory, a 200 year old battleship. It’s essential to Britain’s existence and such a great ship to visit. :)
There's a photo of me and my mum standing in the middle of the henge around 1972 when visitors were allowed to walk within the stones, many of which had graffiti etched or painted on them.
You should front your own history show! Very succinct and still interesting. I agree with the previous comments though - Avebury stone circle. Silbury and West Kennet Longbarrow are much more visually impressive, accessible and within a mile or so of each other.
When I was a kid some 60 years ago you could walk right up to the stones ( no charge) and sit and climb on the stones which of course we did. Today due to numbers visiting they are roped off as you mentioned, however they can be seen a bit boring for such a long journey. However tie the visit in with nearby Avebury and you will enjoy your joint experience.
President Obama visited Stonehenge when he came over here for a NATO summit. It was a joy to see the press photos of him chatting to other visitors who were surprised by his presence.
I think what you are doing is wonderful. We rarely see things from an. African American point of view because so few venture out of the US, due the state of mind and financial reasons.
It was normal to have the door facing south so that it was sheltered from the worst weather and got as much light as possible. Having no glass, windows would have made the houses cold and draughty.
Went on holiday when a teenager with a friend's family and we all had photograhs taken by the stones as there was no rope or anything in those days and you could touch the rocks.
The astronomical alignments of Stonehenge were first analyses in detail by Gerald Hawkins in the mid-1960's, in the period of the Apollo missions, using one of the early computers to crunch the maths. In his book published shortly afterwards (Stonehenge Decoded) he estimates how much effort it took to build it, in terms of man-days, and then equates that to our usual GDP measurement, given the population of Britain at the time. And he compared that GDP percentage to the money spent on the Apollo missions - indicating that Stonehenge may have meant more to the British people of that time than putting a man on the Moon did to America during his own time. Quite a thought.
I enjoy your Videos, short, succinct, different subject matter. Always refreshing to watch. You almost always wish people a good day. As someone who until recently kept livestock I find your videos of sheep etc interesting. Try keeping a few pigs. They’re great and there’s nothing like eating meat when you know the provenance of the animal. If you’re adventurous you can cure your own bacon and make lovely sausages. Good fortune to you and your family.
Amazing to think that you could get right up to it not that long ago. Understandable that it has to be protected now. I’m sure some people have Stonehenge chips at home taken by their ancestors.
Great videos and glad you enjoyed visiting. It is also worth remembering that they moved those stones over that long distance before there were any roads. The ground from Stone Henge to the quarry would have been uneven and covered in dense forest with wolves and bears. It is believed that at that time in history everywhere in Britain that trees could grow was covered in forest. Deforestation had not begun at the time Stone Henge was built. So they would have had to clear trees the entire distance to drag those stones. It is literally a monumental undertaking.
The last time I was there, many years ago, you could touch the stones. They are extraordinary stones. Up until recently, modern day Druids could visit the stones on the Summer Solstice. They are now banned but do it anyway.
When I was at Stonehenge (Many years ago) you could actually enter the Henge right up to the "Altar". You could walk among the stones and touch them. You got a much better sense of the "history" & mystery of the place. Just think Stonehenge is at least 1000 years older than the great pyramids in Egypt. Now image what it was like to move among those stones... like we were once able to.
You have to visit the New Forest! The villages are beautiful and it has the largest area of natural heath in Europe. It was declared a royal Forest after for hunting after William the conqueror arrived Xx
Visit York, the Jorvik museum, the rail museum the walls, the shambles, the minster , the city museum which has a victorian street, toys and the chocolate story of York for tbe children
If you ever get the chance visit Avebury stone circle it's much more impressive than Stonehenge. It's not as touristy, you can walk freely amongst the stones. Uffington White horse is worth a visit as well. Loving your videos BTW.
I have passed this a few times on the way to Longleat Centre parcs,. Must visit it one day. Do go Longleat Safari Park. Where have you moved to and are you Farming as well.
Also, as I said I will write a list of places for you to visit in the British Isles. But one place you should go to, if you like Stonehenge, is Newgrange in County Meath, Ireland
We live in Suffolk, very close to Woodbridge, where the Anglo-Saxon ship burial was discovered, full of treasures that belonged to the King..those are in the British Museum, but there's an exhibition hall with the most glorious replica's, and a tall platform now too, to oversee the mounds...I hope someday you will be able to come and see for yourselves..(There's a film just been made of the discovery, called "The Dig" if you'd like a taste of what's there)...
@@MacandBlair I grew up in Suffolk and can recommend Sutton Hoo. A few miles away is Orford castle which was built by Henry II in the 12th century. There's also Orford Ness which used to be an atomic weapons research centre but is now open to the public. A few miles north of Orford you'll find the Snape Maltings concert hall and from there it's a few minutes to Aldeburgh, which is famous for its fish and chip. From there drive north to Dunwich which is interesting because of what was there; much of the town (it was a port) is now in the sea. All the best.
If you ever have the opportunity visit Ireland. We have Monolithic Tombs Older than the Pyramids at Giza. Knowth, Dowth and NEWGRANGE in County Meath. 🇮🇪🇪🇺
I'll add to the recommendations that you visit Avebury stone circle. Have a look at a long distance path called the Ridgeway which passes by some places of interest. Another place worth visiting is Runnymede where the Magna Carta was signed. On the Dorset coast near Corfe Castle is the village of Tyneham. It was evacuated in WW2 because the Allies were using the area to prepare for D-Day and the villages were promised they would be allowed to return after the war........ That promise was broken and what you can see are somebuildings that have not changed since the 1940's.
There is also the lost village of Imber, right in the centre of Salisbury Plain, which was also evacuated during WWII. It's only open to the public for a few days each year, which happens to be the end of this month. It'll tie in with an Avebury visit for a great day trip.
As you note, what is incredible is that it would have taken hundreds or possibly thousands of people to move these stones, depending on whether a hundred or so moved them one at a time across the 150-ish miles, taking weeks per stone, or whether they moved batches of them. And this was a time where most think that people living in the time were still quite tribal, with settlements generally being quite small, only a dozen to a couple of dozen buildings and families. So it meant that this construction involved dozens of settlements clans or tribes coming together, organized, and dedicated. It was, if you'll forgive the obvious term, a 'monumental' construction project. That above anything else is how archaeologists know this must have been incredibly important to those ancient people. What may really surprise you though is that there are hundreds of lesser-known ancient sites in the UK, from huge chalk figures carved out on hills in places all across the lands, to other henges and tors, burial mounds and settlements. There's something just as wondrous within a short drive of just about anywhere in the UK, and often within walking distance if you know where (and how) to look. We Brits really live with our history, with ancient stuff almost everywhere taken for granted. Since you definitely have some interest in this sort of thing, and with what formed Britain as it is over the centuries, I'd definitely recommend checking out the classic TV show 'Timeteam', most of the episodes and series of which are right here on youtube. The whole show was the crazy brainchild of a group of archaeologists and a small TV production crew that decided to do the insane idea of 'real time' archaeology, having usually just a few days to check out a promising site that hadn't been excavated before and make a weekly TV episode of each dig - One dig site per episode. They go into a lot of detail about all sorts of different eras of British history, from the stone age onward, as they check out the suspected sites that relate to each period. It was a very popular show, and it truly is both fascinating and eye-opening. I think you'd love it.
Seems to like castles you should definitely consider visiting Warwick castle and Conway castle. I'm in Shropshire I recommend you visit Ironbridge (birthplace of the industrial revolution), Bridgnorth, Much Wenlock (birthplace of the modern Olympics) and Shrewsbury, Ludlow, Bishops Castle, Welshpool/powes castle, church stretton
So going to show my age here, but somewhere I have a photo of me as a child sat atop of one of the stones. That's before it was cordoned off to the public.
Wow I went to stonehenge about 28 years ago there was no shuttle that I can remember it's changed (not the stones)and probably very expensive. There are some lovely places to visit
@@MacandBlair Durrington and Woodhenge are unimpressive to look at, but their history is incredible. Archaeological work has suggested that Durrington was the site for massive celebrations over Midwinter, with several thousand people attending. This at a time when the population of Britain was in the tens of thousands. You can also walk from Durrington to Stonehenge, and you end up going close to the original processional route, and you get a real sense of how the stones sit in the landscape.
KMH I can never get used to, MPH It just feels more easier to perceive . I only use metric for measuring cable or fishing line as it is more easier, i.e from your right chest to your left hand fully extended is very close to 1metre
To move so many huge blocks so far I personally believe they would first have dug temporary canals. It makes sense to me, then a horse pulling a barge could move each one.
I imagine, given the length of study about the henge, that there would be some evidence of canal building. Equally, given the terrain is not flat all the length of the transportation, locks would have been required. Again, no evidence. And, frankly, I'm not sure that barges and horses were prevalent 4,500 years ago. Just saying, Dave.Robert, UK.
@@2eleven48 if your expecting evidence of things 4,500 years later when they were probably filled in, I think it's a bit much... Who said they went straight there, who said they had locks, they could have manually filled and dug out sections, your making assumption... But one horse could move tons on water how many hundreds of people for how long to move them miles? Put the manpower to digging ditches and flood them, a barge could easily move extremely heavy objects. They were aware of the potential of boats a long time before this... We don't even know the water level back then. It could have been higher making it an easy task to flood areas or even sail there. Doggerland sank under the sea (16,000-6500 BCE) the landmass connecting Great Britain to mainland Europe, drowned by the southern North Sea following the last ice age. 20,000 years ago we were at historically low levels, 130,000 years ago we were at historically high levels... _Circumstantial evidence, such as the early settlement of Australia over 40,000 years ago, findings in Crete dated 130,000 years ago, and in Flores dated to 900,000 years ago, suggest that boats have been used since prehistoric times. ... A 7,000-year-old seagoing reed boat has been found in Kuwait_ Don't you think it's more likely someone would have thought about floating them at least as close as possible before brute force manual labour was used?
@@daveofyorkshire301 ...Thank you for replying. As to your proposal and last question: I would direct them to the Royal Archeological Insitute, www.royalarchinst.org, who I imagine would provide you with a detailed answer. Robert, UK.
The visitor centre is different to when I visited in the mid 90s! and my mam(mom ,mother )got a bus from Salisbury but you had to be quick as the bus didn't return for hours and as usual it's the UK so windy and not extremely warm,I always feel unnerved as the British army own a part of Salisbury plain .
When I was a girl you could walk amongst the stones there was some interesting graffiti... Keats, Byron and Shelly left their mark on the stones. You could touch them and sit against them. The blue stones, the tiny ones, were said to have healing properties, but no one really knows 😁
EH encourage you to take the little shuttle buses from the Visitor Centre, which is great but it's about a mile and a half to the stones. The Visitor Centre is deliberately well out of site of the stones.
Don't forget that Woodhenge is not far from Stonehenge. I may be misremembering but it was posited that Stonehenge was tied to death/ending whilst Woodhenge was tied to birth/beginnings.
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One of the things I get from watching US people in the UK is... just what I'm missing on my doorstep. I know these things exist, but because they are here in the UK, I've always though, yeah, but they are close I can see them anytime... I'm now nearly 60 and "anytime" is running out. Appreciate what you have, use it, love it!
It's very true I live 20 miles from Stonehenge and have lived in the area for 30 years... I only visited there in June 2021 even after being stuck on the A303 looking at it from a distance!
Don’t wait to visit, i left the UK in the 80’s and I’ve never visited Stonehenge. I’ve passed by on the main road several times since my family lives in Devon.
@Almighty Xavier You sound like that female American tourist visiting Westminster Abbey, commenting " it's just a Church ". 😲😲
@@Reebus_ haha this is me. I have driven past the thing thousands of times and have cursed it as the cause of traffic, but have never been up close. And I love History!
I've lived in three other countries, and as a British person I've never been to Wales or Scotland, quite maddening really.
Glad I visited Stonehenge over fifty years ago, no barriers then just walk around among the stones.
I lived near Cheddar when I was a kid and we used to go to Glastonbury Tor and Stonehenge regularly, the good old days when you could walk amongst the stones, I still admire it when I drive down the A303.
The one and only time I went to Stonehege was on my 13th birthday being driven back to boarding school in Devon by my parents. I'm now 73 and have never forgotten that day - not a soul about and mist covering the stones.
Must be 50 years since we had a school trip to Stonehenge, Old Sarum, Salisbury Cathedral and Museum - all in one day! I do remember being able to walk among the stones and actually having our picnic lunch there on the grass. We used to drive past, almost every weekend, once I married - going from London to Devon to visit family, but by then it was roped off and had lost some of the attraction for me.
Me too BUT shame about the graffiti carved into the stones. That had to stop, even if some of it was a few centuries old and actually quite interesting.
It's a shame that it is generally not accessible any more, but I can understand why it's necessary, unfortunately. This is why we can't have nice things. Having said that, it's still possible to get right in the middle of the 'Henge if one is prepared to brave the throngs on the Summer Solstice or the weather on the Winter Solstice, when English Heritage have traditionally opened it up for the occasions. None of the festivals of yore mind you - camping is prohibited, the site is only opened up the night before and everyone must be gone by midday. So glad I had the opportunity to spend time there when there were no fences and no restrictions.
Before it became a World Heritage Site I used to play on the stones like children had done for 5,000 years.
I did as well, have family photos picnicking on the stones.
Yes I remember sitting, eating sandwiches on one of the stones back in the 1970’s. Different times.
@@suzannerichardson5092 Back in the 1950s for me 🙄
The nearby Avebury stone circle is quite interesting as well, and curiously, cuts through a small village. Silbury Hill is worth seeing too - a huge prehistoric man-made mound.
I really can't wait to visit Avebury. I ran out of time the day I visited Stonehenge.
@@MacandBlair nice thing about Avebury is that there is a pub there... ;)
@@MacandBlair Avebury 'It does so overawe the much renowned Stonehenge, as a cathedral doeth a parish church' You were lucky to have so few other visitors, I suppose that's the pandemic.
@@MacandBlair When you go to Avebury, also check out West Kennet Long Barrow. It's an ancient tomb that you can go inside.
@@MacandBlair You can walk freely around the stones, pose for photos etc. The only downside is that the main road cuts through so inevitably you need to carefully cross. I'd give it a day, some parts of the walk around are short climbs, mind the sheep poop:).
You have a voice for narration m8.
I think I love you and your family. Please have a wonderful time in England / the UK.
Head to Bath, a beautiful Roman city. Well worth a visit.
Don’t drink the water! (1) it tastes awful (2) when I was there last someone’s dog peed in it through the railings!
When I was a child back in the late 60's you were able to walk amongst and climb among the stones, fun times.
I remember that. Some of the stones have carved initials too...
I live less than 20 miles from Stonehenge and probably haven’t been there for 40 years. Passed many times on the A303. Probably not alone when I say it’s a shame when you take local sites for granted. Will have to go there again soon.
haha your comment is basically the same as mine...! Yeah it's funny how people don't visit places on their doorsteps etc. :)
If the people who originally moved the stones & constructed the Henge knew thousands of years later people from every corner of the globe would be visiting the site & marvelling at it's construction I'm thinking they'd be very proud & very happy. I'm glad you & your family enjoyed visiting one of the World's most powerful examples of our ancient ancestors ingenuity. ☺
The reason it was built here was it is close to the A303 so getting Dewson's to deliver the stones was easier. True, that.
Americans just don’t get why Windsor Castle is built under the Heathrow flight path. It’s all very sensible: easy access to the airport.
I was in Salisbury recently. It lies on the confluence of *five* rivers (including being the highest navigable point of the Thames in a curragh/coracle). Given the diificulty of travelling in a country largely covered in forest and without roads, the builders of Stonehenge certainly knew how to get the punters to their attraction: by boat!
🤣🤣🤣🤣
@@annalieff-saxby568 Salisbury isn't on the Thames. It's on the Avon, Nadder, Ebble, Wylye and Bourne.
@@PeterWasted Thank you. Can you inform me if any of those are tributaries of the Thames?
I have been told that Salisbury is the highest point a shallow-beamed craft (such as a coracle, or curragh) could reach if it departed from (say) Hampton Court. I *could* do the drudgery of following the voyage, mile by mile, on a map (and hoping the river courses and depths haven't altered overmuch since the Neolithic): but I'd be *really* grateful for any specialised info you can spare me, particularly if you're a student of the area.
I had a chance to see Stonehenge and Bath in 1999, my first trip to the UK and passed. My thinking? It's a bunch of rocks. The second trip was London only and then in 2017 my friend and I took a months trip to London and Paris. I may not ever make it back, age, health and so on, and we went to Stonehenge and Bath and I am SOOOOO glad I saw it. It truly is awesome. I have watched some National Geographic programs on Stonehenge and it's so neat to see where I was. And, I'm still wearing the socks I bought there.
If you ever get a chance to visit, take it!!!!!!
London’s not the UK. It’s like any capital.
I remember when Obama visited Stonehenge on his way home from a conference, he look absolutely thrilled and said he had 'ticked it off his bucket list'. Amazing place.
It really is...
Also the lake district the Yorkshire dales, the cotswolds bath cornwall etc
Remember going there as a kid with my family in about the late 50's. Opened a gate in a wire fence and walked through a field to get to it. Hardly anyone else there and nothing else except the stones in a field.
It will look better when they put the roof on 😀
My late mum actually said "It's just a load of stones". She wasn't into history.
@@lewisner Big stones 😂
Agree , the old roof blew off some time ago .
@@colinu406 Yes I remember 😂
Apparently it did have a roof. I was really surprised to find that out
It's nice to see that you do an historical background on places you visit.
Thank you for posting. Interesting to hear an Americans point of view, and I’m glad you enjoyed your visits mate. I actually visited a couple of weeks ago. I’m English and was in the area so thought I’d pop along and have a look. Amazing place it is indeed.
I have been there a few times, last time I was there you did not pay to see them you could walk up to the stones and touch them remember putting my hand flat on these ancient stones. Other places I would recommend are Avebury and old sarum fort
So glad to have walked unhindered through those stones many years ago, so glad to have partied next to those stones,they should remove the fences and let people touch the stones.
My mum and dad visited stonehenge in the late 60s. You used to be able to walk among the stones. They took some amazing transparency slides as the sun set through stonehenge...I remember seeing the pictures as a child...we've lost them since 😭 !! Such a shame....wonderful video by the way!
Claire, thank you.
I last visited in the late 1980's/early 90's are there were no restrictions on how close you could get then, also there was no museum site or info. Just as natural as could be.
We just parked up on the main road & walked over to the HUGE stones. Great memories.
I grew up in the adjacent town, Amesbury, (of Amesbury Archer fame) and used to play inside the stones. I feel so privileged now!
In that part of the world you can literally trip over the Neolithic and bronze age , its everywhere. Some Roman as well...and some....
Thank is sounds like a really nice way to grow up.
Egad! I'm from Durrington...
I'm learning more about my country from an American 👍🏼🏴🇬🇧. Great channel 🇺🇸👍🏼
The logistics involved in moving those stones is just out of this world.
I live quite close by and people are allowed on the Solstice, winter one too, to get up close and personal to honour the rising sun. There have been many UFO sitings in this area too!
Lovely to see your family enjoying the site, it helps me see it with new eyes!
Lots of love to you all.
My favourite stone monument is Pentre Ifan in Newport, West Wales. Well worth a visit. You could also have a look at the are of the blue stone mines nearby where Stonehenge was originally built and then moved to Salisbury.
I visited as a kid in the 70's and you could walk among the stones at that time. It's always stayed with me as a special place.
Stonehenge is cosmically dramatic . . . . Avebury is 'down home'. Well worth a visit!
Oh and if you come up Liverpool way again, Port Sunlight is a fascinating small village with a big history.
The latest research suggests that some of the stones for Stonehenge were possibly taken from existing circles in Wales and re used for the the new site in Salisbury. Can't now find the source for that, but read it earlier this year. Real nice aerial shots too thanks for sharing.
You should get down to Portsmouth and visit HMS Victory, a 200 year old battleship. It’s essential to Britain’s existence and such a great ship to visit. :)
I remember as a kid clambering onto one of the non standing stones and getting told off by one of the staff. 😁
There's a photo of me and my mum standing in the middle of the henge around 1972 when visitors were allowed to walk within the stones, many of which had graffiti etched or painted on them.
And I'd guess that is the reason why they no longer allow people to walk into the stones or touch em 🤷🏻♂️
That Stonehenge themed hat you are wearing in the thumbnail is so cool.
You should front your own history show! Very succinct and still interesting. I agree with the previous comments though - Avebury stone circle. Silbury and West Kennet Longbarrow are much more visually impressive, accessible and within a mile or so of each other.
Awesome video I can’t wait to come visit
When I was a kid some 60 years ago you could walk right up to the stones ( no charge) and sit and climb on the stones which of course we did. Today due to numbers visiting they are roped off as you mentioned, however they can be seen a bit boring for such a long journey. However tie the visit in with nearby Avebury and you will enjoy your joint experience.
I like your narration.
😊
I’m really enjoying your channel. Great narration, fun and informative.
Thank you.
You should go and have a look at Woodhenge, which is about two miles away from Stonehenge and is believed to be older.
President Obama visited Stonehenge when he came over here for a NATO summit. It was a joy to see the press photos of him chatting to other visitors who were surprised by his presence.
Nice fez!
LoL
An interesting watch for the stonehenge rebuild in the early 1900's, Please watch: Stonehenge Rebuilt?- Historical Lies
Get up North to the Lake District, York, North Wales, The Yorkshire Dale's/Bronte County. So much history.
I think what you are doing is wonderful. We rarely see things from an. African American point of view because so few venture out of the US, due the state of mind and financial reasons.
i was there before the new center. love the houses-no window holes....
It was normal to have the door facing south so that it was sheltered from the worst weather and got as much light as possible. Having no glass, windows would have made the houses cold and draughty.
Went on holiday when a teenager with a friend's family and we all had photograhs taken by the stones as there was no rope or anything in those days and you could touch the rocks.
The astronomical alignments of Stonehenge were first analyses in detail by Gerald Hawkins in the mid-1960's, in the period of the Apollo missions, using one of the early computers to crunch the maths. In his book published shortly afterwards (Stonehenge Decoded) he estimates how much effort it took to build it, in terms of man-days, and then equates that to our usual GDP measurement, given the population of Britain at the time. And he compared that GDP percentage to the money spent on the Apollo missions - indicating that Stonehenge may have meant more to the British people of that time than putting a man on the Moon did to America during his own time. Quite a thought.
I’m the 999th 👍😃. Glad you are both enjoying your time in the U.K. I’m enjoying your videos. Keep up the good work and come visit us in Manchester 😉
👍🏾
It's beginning to look like Stonehenge was only a part of a larger complex, according to some archeologists
The size and scale of the larger complex is impressive... and still being discovered as you stated.
I enjoy your Videos, short, succinct, different subject matter. Always refreshing to watch. You almost always wish people a good day. As someone who until recently kept livestock I find your videos of sheep etc interesting. Try keeping a few pigs. They’re great and there’s nothing like eating meat when you know the provenance of the animal. If you’re adventurous you can cure your own bacon and make lovely sausages.
Good fortune to you and your family.
Thank you Terry.
Bag buddy. I wish more people were like you guys. So glad you like the uk. Come down too Suffolk East Anglia sometime. You will love it I promise.👍
I agree
Loved your review of Stonehenge! It’s somewhere we’ll definitely be visiting
Amazing to think that you could get right up to it not that long ago. Understandable that it has to be protected now. I’m sure some people have Stonehenge chips at home taken by their ancestors.
You could have popped in for tea. I only live a few miles away !
Your blogs are so enjoyable
Great videos and glad you enjoyed visiting.
It is also worth remembering that they moved those stones over that long distance before there were any roads. The ground from Stone Henge to the quarry would have been uneven and covered in dense forest with wolves and bears.
It is believed that at that time in history everywhere in Britain that trees could grow was covered in forest. Deforestation had not begun at the time Stone Henge was built.
So they would have had to clear trees the entire distance to drag those stones. It is literally a monumental undertaking.
The last time I was there, many years ago, you could touch the stones. They are extraordinary stones. Up until recently, modern day Druids could visit the stones on the Summer Solstice. They are now banned but do it anyway.
me too think it was early 70s i last went
Not all druids. Some of us respect the place and don't invade it.
@@helenwood8482 Nice to know!
The world's first adventure playground. Us Brits think of everything. 😂
when i last went to could walk right up to them .I like your videos short and to the point
When I was at Stonehenge (Many years ago) you could actually enter the Henge right up to the "Altar". You could walk among the stones and touch them. You got a much better sense of the "history" & mystery of the place. Just think Stonehenge is at least 1000 years older than the great pyramids in Egypt. Now image what it was like to move among those stones... like we were once able to.
You have to visit the New Forest! The villages are beautiful and it has the largest area of natural heath in Europe. It was declared a royal Forest after for hunting after William the conqueror arrived Xx
U can walk the avenue of stones to other sites surrounding it n get a real feel of the prehistoric landscape
Will be nice when they finish it.
Lol yes
Visit York, the Jorvik museum, the rail museum the walls, the shambles, the minster , the city museum which has a victorian street, toys and the chocolate story of York for tbe children
Jane, thanks! I am always on the lookout for new places to visit. You have increased my list.
You make really nice videos, thank you!
Theres lot's of castles around the country to visit too
If you ever get the chance visit Avebury stone circle it's much more impressive than Stonehenge. It's not as touristy, you can walk freely amongst the stones. Uffington White horse is worth a visit as well. Loving your videos BTW.
I have passed this a few times on the way to Longleat Centre parcs,. Must visit it one day.
Do go Longleat Safari Park.
Where have you moved to and are you Farming as well.
We have a small flock of sheep. Mostly just to learn about the animals and their habits at this stage.
Theres a few places you should also visit Caerphilly castle and Cardiff castle also the Roman baths in Bath
Really enjoyed this video you have a great talent for it..
Have you been to Avebury Stone Circle? Amazing place but avoid the summer solstice.
Also, as I said I will write a list of places for you to visit in the British Isles. But one place you should go to, if you like Stonehenge, is Newgrange in County Meath, Ireland
Breandan, thanks for sharing. I will put it on my list
Nice footage, thanks for the tour!
He is actually a good narrator
We live in Suffolk, very close to Woodbridge, where the Anglo-Saxon ship burial was discovered, full of treasures that belonged to the King..those are in the British Museum, but there's an exhibition hall with the most glorious replica's, and a tall platform now too, to oversee the mounds...I hope someday you will be able to come and see for yourselves..(There's a film just been made of the discovery, called "The Dig" if you'd like a taste of what's there)...
The Dig, I will look into it. Thanks.
@@MacandBlair I grew up in Suffolk and can recommend Sutton Hoo. A few miles away is Orford castle which was built by Henry II in the 12th century. There's also Orford Ness which used to be an atomic weapons research centre but is now open to the public. A few miles north of Orford you'll find the Snape Maltings concert hall and from there it's a few minutes to Aldeburgh, which is famous for its fish and chip. From there drive north to Dunwich which is interesting because of what was there; much of the town (it was a port) is now in the sea. All the best.
I'm in Suffolk and recommend Sutton Hoo also but stop off at nearby Framlingham castle ( hometown of Ed Sheeran) as its a great castle.
If you ever have the opportunity visit Ireland.
We have Monolithic Tombs Older than the Pyramids at Giza.
Knowth, Dowth and NEWGRANGE in County Meath.
🇮🇪🇪🇺
I didn't know about those... thanks.
I agree... if you like standing stones/prehistoric stuff... in Ireland you can see lots close up and not be charged a fortune, just look at OS map x
I'll add to the recommendations that you visit Avebury stone circle. Have a look at a long distance path called the Ridgeway which passes by some places of interest. Another place worth visiting is Runnymede where the Magna Carta was signed. On the Dorset coast near Corfe Castle is the village of Tyneham. It was evacuated in WW2 because the Allies were using the area to prepare for D-Day and the villages were promised they would be allowed to return after the war........ That promise was broken and what you can see are somebuildings that have not changed since the 1940's.
There is also the lost village of Imber, right in the centre of Salisbury Plain, which was also evacuated during WWII. It's only open to the public for a few days each year, which happens to be the end of this month. It'll tie in with an Avebury visit for a great day trip.
As you note, what is incredible is that it would have taken hundreds or possibly thousands of people to move these stones, depending on whether a hundred or so moved them one at a time across the 150-ish miles, taking weeks per stone, or whether they moved batches of them. And this was a time where most think that people living in the time were still quite tribal, with settlements generally being quite small, only a dozen to a couple of dozen buildings and families. So it meant that this construction involved dozens of settlements clans or tribes coming together, organized, and dedicated. It was, if you'll forgive the obvious term, a 'monumental' construction project. That above anything else is how archaeologists know this must have been incredibly important to those ancient people.
What may really surprise you though is that there are hundreds of lesser-known ancient sites in the UK, from huge chalk figures carved out on hills in places all across the lands, to other henges and tors, burial mounds and settlements. There's something just as wondrous within a short drive of just about anywhere in the UK, and often within walking distance if you know where (and how) to look. We Brits really live with our history, with ancient stuff almost everywhere taken for granted.
Since you definitely have some interest in this sort of thing, and with what formed Britain as it is over the centuries, I'd definitely recommend checking out the classic TV show 'Timeteam', most of the episodes and series of which are right here on youtube. The whole show was the crazy brainchild of a group of archaeologists and a small TV production crew that decided to do the insane idea of 'real time' archaeology, having usually just a few days to check out a promising site that hadn't been excavated before and make a weekly TV episode of each dig - One dig site per episode. They go into a lot of detail about all sorts of different eras of British history, from the stone age onward, as they check out the suspected sites that relate to each period. It was a very popular show, and it truly is both fascinating and eye-opening. I think you'd love it.
Have u been to Avebury? U can touch the stones and run around the ditches
I have not been, but it is on my list of places to visit.
Seems to like castles you should definitely consider visiting Warwick castle and Conway castle. I'm in Shropshire I recommend you visit Ironbridge (birthplace of the industrial revolution), Bridgnorth, Much Wenlock (birthplace of the modern Olympics) and Shrewsbury, Ludlow, Bishops Castle, Welshpool/powes castle, church stretton
yes Warwick Castle is really good
So going to show my age here, but somewhere I have a photo of me as a child sat atop of one of the stones. That's before it was cordoned off to the public.
Wow I went to stonehenge about 28 years ago there was no shuttle that I can remember it's changed (not the stones)and probably very expensive. There are some lovely places to visit
I thought you were wearing a beanie hat when I first saw the caption 😎😎😎👍🇬🇧
You should check out the Uffington White Horse
You and your family are very sweet. So glad to see you enjoying the UK :)
Those thatched huts were Air BnB’s for the pilgrims to Stonehenge :)
There's a place in Orkadia, the Orkney Isle, that is even larger and older, 500 yrs, only been excavated, 10 yrs or so. There's sites you may go to.
Thanks
Google ley lines in England. You'll find lots of ancient stones just on the edge of roads marking important routes.
Where else did you visit? I'm thinking Durrington Walls/Woodhenge which would be fascinating...I'm ashamed to say I've never been...
We were heading to Avebury stones but we ran out of time. I can't wait to get back to Wiltshire.
@@MacandBlair Durrington and Woodhenge are unimpressive to look at, but their history is incredible. Archaeological work has suggested that Durrington was the site for massive celebrations over Midwinter, with several thousand people attending. This at a time when the population of Britain was in the tens of thousands. You can also walk from Durrington to Stonehenge, and you end up going close to the original processional route, and you get a real sense of how the stones sit in the landscape.
@@MacandBlair Durham Cathedral is a must see. Also the Penshaw Monument which is a few miles away. Whitby is probably my favourite place in the UK.
The big stones were local only the smaller blue stones were brought from Wales
There is a stone circle at Castlerigg Keswick in the Lake District where the stones can be touched,at least when i was last there.
Thank you for sharing... I am looking for more out of the way stone circles. That can be observed closer.
I was wondering what hat you had on in the thumbnail
KMH I can never get used to, MPH It just feels more easier to perceive . I only use metric for measuring cable or fishing line as it is more easier, i.e from your right chest to your left hand fully extended is very close to 1metre
To move so many huge blocks so far I personally believe they would first have dug temporary canals. It makes sense to me, then a horse pulling a barge could move each one.
Dave... it is as plausible as any other explanation.
I imagine, given the length of study about the henge, that there would be some evidence of canal building. Equally, given the terrain is not flat all the length of the transportation, locks would have been required. Again, no evidence. And, frankly, I'm not sure that barges and horses were prevalent 4,500 years ago. Just saying, Dave.Robert, UK.
@@2eleven48 if your expecting evidence of things 4,500 years later when they were probably filled in, I think it's a bit much... Who said they went straight there, who said they had locks, they could have manually filled and dug out sections, your making assumption... But one horse could move tons on water how many hundreds of people for how long to move them miles? Put the manpower to digging ditches and flood them, a barge could easily move extremely heavy objects. They were aware of the potential of boats a long time before this...
We don't even know the water level back then. It could have been higher making it an easy task to flood areas or even sail there. Doggerland sank under the sea (16,000-6500 BCE) the landmass connecting Great Britain to mainland Europe, drowned by the southern North Sea following the last ice age. 20,000 years ago we were at historically low levels, 130,000 years ago we were at historically high levels...
_Circumstantial evidence, such as the early settlement of Australia over 40,000 years ago, findings in Crete dated 130,000 years ago, and in Flores dated to 900,000 years ago, suggest that boats have been used since prehistoric times. ... A 7,000-year-old seagoing reed boat has been found in Kuwait_
Don't you think it's more likely someone would have thought about floating them at least as close as possible before brute force manual labour was used?
@@daveofyorkshire301 ...Thank you for replying. As to your proposal and last question: I would direct them to the Royal Archeological Insitute, www.royalarchinst.org, who I imagine would provide you with a detailed answer.
Robert, UK.
@@2eleven48 Ox / Bullocks
The summer and winter soltice ( LONEST / SHORTEST DAYS ) druids will gather at the henge
The visitor centre is different to when I visited in the mid 90s! and my mam(mom ,mother )got a bus from Salisbury but you had to be quick as the bus didn't return for hours and as usual it's the UK so windy and not extremely warm,I always feel unnerved as the British army own a part of Salisbury plain .
I think you can walk to the roundabout about a mile away for the main bus from Swindon that hourly
@@highpath4776 She's still waiting there.
How did you get your hoodie both up and down in the same shot, in the thumbnail?
LoL it just loved up perfectly with one of the standing stones...
When I was a girl you could walk amongst the stones there was some interesting graffiti... Keats, Byron and Shelly left their mark on the stones. You could touch them and sit against them. The blue stones, the tiny ones, were said to have healing properties, but no one really knows 😁
EH encourage you to take the little shuttle buses from the Visitor Centre, which is great but it's about a mile and a half to the stones. The Visitor Centre is deliberately well out of site of the stones.
I wanted to walk, but I really wasn't feeling well that day. 😕 I just think it is cool that there is a shuttle at all.
Don't forget that Woodhenge is not far from Stonehenge. I may be misremembering but it was posited that Stonehenge was tied to death/ending whilst Woodhenge was tied to birth/beginnings.