Stonehenge and Salisbury

A classic view of Stonehenge

As you may have gathered from my rather imaginative post title, I visited Stonehenge and Salisbury today as part of the International Summer School's social programme.

Despite forecasts that had predicted afternoon showers, we were able to escape most of the rain for the whole programme until it was time to get back on the coaches for the return trip to Exeter.

I was very excited to see Stonehenge. I didn't know all that much about this prehistoric monument prior to coming here, but after hearing so about it and seeing photographs all my life, it was quite an amazing experience to actually see it in person. A tour of Stonehenge includes an audio guide that explains various aspects of the monument at designated points. It was easy to use, though I had difficulty balancing the audio guide next to my ear whilst taking photographs of almost every conceivable angle of the stones. A circular path surrounds Stonehenge and there is a rope that prevents you from walking right up to the stones. I already knew that it would be like this before I even left the US, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that a section of the path actually gets quite close to the stones, closer than I thought it would.

I learned today that the bluestones used for Stonehenge were transported all the way from Wales! These smaller stones weigh up to 4 tons. The sarsens, or large stones, which often have lintels placed across the top, most likely came from around 20 miles away.

Stonehenge: World's largest bird perc

Experts are not exactly sure how the builders placed the heaviest (up to 50 ton) stones or sarsens, upright or placed the lintels up top, but they suspect that they used a complex system of ramps and levers. Excavations and studies have found that one-third of each sarsen is sunk into the ground and that the lintels are notched and fitted into place on top of the stones beneath in a manner than resembles a jigsaw puzzle. Pretty great feats of engineering for a group of people who quite literally had not invented the wheel yet!

The many angles of Stonehenge

Stonehenge's purpose is not completely known, but there are definite connections between the placement of the stones and the movement of the sun during the solstices. Barrows (burial pits) containing cremated and physical human remains have been found near the site, suggesting a religious significance. It's also quite possible that the bluestones also served as a sort of 'status symbol,' since their place of origin in the Preseli Hills in Wales was a notable landmark on the prehistoric trade route. The people who brought them back to present-day Wiltshire, England would have been making quite a statement about their trading and transportation abilities with these stones.

I'm having a bad hair day in this one

Stonehenge today, is of course, incomplete, but that much of it is still standing is a testament to the engineering ingenuity of the builders. As nice and impressive as many of our modern buildings are, I don't think most of them will still be standing after 3,000 years!

Learn more about Stonehenge here: http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/stonehenge/

After Stonehenge, we traveled a short distance to Salisbury, a small town that is renowned for its massive cathedral.

Before we walked to the famous cathedral, we stopped at a smaller medieval church to hear the end of a local concert that was played by a pianist, clarinetist, and violinist. It was pretty magical to hear such beautiful music played in an equally beautiful setting and it helped set the tone for the rest of the trip.
When we reached Salisbury Cathedral, built in the 13th century, we were impressed by the sheer size and beauty of this large church. In another amazing feat of primitive engineering, a spire that towers 404 feet above the ground was constructed in the 14th century by medieval builders, a height that is still fairly impressive today.

Outside of Salisbury Cathedral

The cloisters. Seem familiar?

Many people (and I was one of them, until I did a bit of research) think that Salisbury Cathedral was a filming location for some of the Harry Potter films. Unfortunately, it was not. Having said that, there are many parts of the interior and exterior that look very much like parts of Hogwarts Castle in the films. The early movies were actually filmed in part at a cathedral in Gloucester and also in Oxford. Given the relative proximity and stylistic time frame within which these cathedrals and buildings were constructed, it is probable that there are many aesthetic similarities that overlap (having never visited these other places, I cannot say for sure). So while Harry Potter may not have been filmed in Salisbury, you can still have a stroll through the cloisters and feel like you're on set.

Looking up at the spire

Salisbury Cathedral, aside from its sheer aesthetic beauty, is also famous as the home of the best surviving copy of the Magna Carta, one of only four in the world. The Magna Carta drew up over sixty clauses to help solve a medieval political crisis that occurred between King John and his barons. Only three of those clauses are in effect today, but that even three of them are still relevant is quite astounding. The most famous of these clauses has often been cited as the earliest inspiration for later movements toward human rights, though of course the barons could never have foreseen that at the time. It states:

No free man shall be seized or imprisoned, or stripped of his rights or possessions, or outlawed or exiled . nor will we proceed with force against him . except by the lawful judgement of his equals or by the law of the land. To no one will we sell, to no one deny or delay right or justice.

The Magna Carta essentially limited royal authority, quite an astounding feat since no one could limit royal authority at this time, except for the king himself (as you can imagine, the barons were quite persuasive in making this happen). Even if the people who drew up this document had no intention of extending universal rights to everyone, the Magna Carta inspired later generations to aspire to do just that.Seeing this document in person was amazing. Since there was no printing press at this time (early 13th century), everything had to be copied by hand, yet the letters are so perfectly blocked out and written, it almost looks as if it was done by a printing press!

The Magna Carta is written in a shorthand form of Latin, so it is extremely difficult for non-experts to read. However, Salisbury Cathedral provides an English translation of the document for those who are interested.

Learn more about Salisbury Cathedral and the Magna Carta here:
http://www.salisburycathedral.org.uk/index.php

I had a great time seeing such beautiful historic landmarks and artifacts today and I hope you enjoyed reading about them.