Stonehenge, Salisbury and Bath, UK

In preparation for our UK move, we got ourselves up to speed with a cultural 'to do list' by watching the "History of Britain" documentary series.

The series inspired us to allocate time to seeing the UK outside of London and we even signed up for 12 months membership to English Heritage. Over a couple of weekends and when we weren't searching for a rental, Mei's uncle Collin rented a car and took us to visit the sites of  Stonehenge, Salisbury (town and cathedral) and the Roman city of Bath.


Stonehenge

Stonehenge is one of England's most famous sites and is on the UNESCO world heritage register. It is a prehistoric monument that is visited by thousands of tourists every day. It is appreciated for the architectural skills of ancient times and also for its mystical properties during the days of summer and winter solstice.

We were lucky to visit in late April when the weather was sunny and not a drop of rain was in sight. Stonehenge is located in a large open field next to a highway. It is possible to view the site at a distance through the fence. However as we wanted to see the stones up close, we purchased a ticket and the audio guide so that we could learn more about the history and construction of this site.

Tour groups walking around the stones

That perfect angle where no one else is in the photo

Stones that have stood since 2000BC

 The 'Heel Stone' is a stand-alone stone of almost 5 metres high that is important in the summer solstice ceremonies as an observer standing within the stone circle looking towards it will see the sun rise about this stone. 

The Heel or Sun Stone

Salisbury 

A short distance away from Stonehenge is the cathedral city of Salisbury, previously referred to as Sarum and used to be located on an Iron Age hill fort before the present location was developed and the current cathedral constructed.

Flowers at Salisbury town

Model of the Old Sarum

Salisbury Cathedral

Salisbury Cathedral has fame for being a place where visitors have the opportunity to see one of the four original copies of the Magna Carta (Great Charter) that outlines rights of citizens against the King (John). When we visited the document was not on display but we still enjoyed walking through the Cathedral - particularly the stained glass windows, the medieval clock (world's oldest working clock from 1386AD) and the grave monuments of medieval knights that fought for king and country.

Inside the Cathedral

     

Bath

Bath is a UNESCO World Heritage city located in the county of Somerset and is best known as a spa retreat that was used during Roman times and a place for high society in the 18th century. The architecture is very pretty and it is a great day-trip destination from London, as there are accessible train connections.

Bath Abbey

The temple was dedicated to the goddess Sulis Minerva.

Restored to its ancient glory

Inside the Roman Baths, there are exhibitions about Roman life in Bath, including many artifacts excavated during the restoration period.

Statue of a Roman Legionnaire

Roman gravestone

Fragments from a Roman temple

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