Chances are, as one of the world’s most famous sites, Stonehenge is on a lot of people’s bucket lists, as it was mine. I was 16 when I saw it for the first time and was, quite frankly, bored out of my mind. I then saw it numerous times over the following few years when driving past it on the highway that is, pardon the pun, just a stone’s throw away, and was equally unimpressed on these occasions.
However, having moved back to the UK determined to appreciate things I never did previously (such as castles, cathedrals and beautiful countryside) I hoped that seeing Stonehenge again would change my mind about it. Last weekend a group of us rented a car and drove the 80 miles from London to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, which was freezing cold and being rained upon during our visit. We parked the car, paid our £8pp entry and collected the ‘free’ audio guide, which I quickly bored of (dramatic voices and cheesy sound effects are not my thing).
Although the site is beautiful and photogenic it left me just as disappointed as the first time I visited. The audio guide might be some people’s ideal way to learn about a historic site but I’d much prefer some written information to look at as I am walking around. Not that I was able to walk far, as most of the path was closed. I write this not as a complaint but rather to warn potential visitors that Stonehenge is really more of a stop-off on the way to a destination (such as Bath) than a destination in itself.
Some people I have spoken to say that when they visited Stonehenge they could feel some sort of energy, and that they were in awe of the monument, and I’m glad that some people have such an experience but I have never felt anything other than cold on my visits. It’s great to have seen Stonehenge with my own eyes but at the end of the day, to me, it’s simply a cluster of rocks on the side of a highway in the middle of nowhere…
Have you been to Stonehenge? Do you agree with my conclusion?
I’ve never been there but it sounds just like my reaction to seeing the Mona Lisa. There are all these magnificent paintings in the Louvre and THAT tiny little portrait is where the masses gather? Never understood why…
It may be just a pile of rocks on the side of the road now, but what about before the road was there? What about the mystery about its significance in religion/travel/place/trade? What about how the fudge did people with no machinery haul stones from South Wales, across water and over almost 100 miles of undulating land to their current spot and then stack them 15 odd feet on top of one another?
Its definately not the most exciting place to visit, but you can’t help but be in total awe when you imagine its creation. Folks back then were either really bored or real perfectionists!
Worth one half an hour detour out of your life if you’re anywhere nearby in my opinion…
Good to hear an honest opinion.
It’s also been on my list for a while now but I’ll heed your advice and use it as a stop-off rather than the final destination.
Becky at life/style/flash. blog x
You know, I have always wanted to go, but have never managed to get around to doing it. It does look quite boring? I’m not sure I believe all that about the energy…
Sarah Betty xx
If you’re on your way past it’s nice to see but I wouldn’t recommend going out of your way! x