A few weeks ago we decided to visit Stonehenge. Although I’ve lived in this country for many years, I’d never actually been there, so when my sister came to stay and expressed an interest in going there, we hired a 9-seater monstrosity and piled two families into it.
People have told me not to bother with Stonehenge. “You can’t get near it”, they point out. “It’s full of tourists”, they add. All of it true. Sure, it is a tourist attraction, but by the time we arrived late on a Sunday afternoon, having visited Avebury and West Kennet Long Barrow (other Neolithic sites in Wiltshire) first, their numbers had dwindled to only the hardiest individuals. And yes, you can’t touch the stones or sit on them, but instead have to follow a walkway around it at distance of at least 10 meters in places.
None of that matters.
The sense of awe descends as soon as you see it in the distance. I won’t bore you with the history of the place – that’s what Wikipedia and other media are for – but merely recount how it affected me. The moment I set foot on that walkway, with a hand-held recording borrowed from the ticket office, I was transported back in time.
And it was clear I wasn’t the only person who felt that way. Despite the number of visitors present, no one was talking loudly, no one was running or shoving or littering. Not a single kid was screaming. People spoke in hushed tones as if the algae-covered sarsen stones were sleeping giants which might wake at any time. Even the whir from the many cameras was eerily subdued, swallowed up by the forbidding rock faces.
The most amazing feeling was how the stories just welled up in me, stories to bridge the huge gaps in history, and all the things we don’t know anything about, but can only guess at. It left my head spinning and cursing the fact that my fingers were far too cold to write any of it down. It also made me want to re-read a series of books I read when they were first published: the Earth’s Children series by Jean M Auel, of which The Clan of the Cave Bear is Book 1. They were hugely enjoyable and meticulously researched.
Henriette Gyland 
I know exactly what you mean, I’ve felt the same way every time I visit Stonehenge! Truly awesome place 🙂
Maybe we should go there sometime, perhaps at the Summer Solstice? (Sorry about the delay in replying – I was having technical problems).
Those stones still call to you, don’t they? Even after all those thousands of years.
I know, it’s amazing. I think it’s the closest I’ve ever been to time travel (and ever will be!).
I LOVED the Clan of the Cave Bear series but didn’t realise they were children’s books- seem to recall a bit of sex in them?
Stonehenge- still can’t believe that no-one knows exactly why these massive stones are there, but they are trult inspiring, aren’t they?
They’re not children’s books at all! They’re historical novels for the adult market. The series was called “Earth’s Children”, meaning that humans are children of the earth, but I can see that this is potentially misleading 😀
I must confess that I’ve never actually visited Stonehenge. Reading your blog has made me want to do so, and the next time that I’m in the region, I shall go there.
I understod exactly what you felt as you stared at the stones. You captured the scene and your feelings brilliantly. It was quite moving.
Liz X
Thank you, Liz. It was a truly memorable experience, and I’ll definitely be up for visiting it again!
Stonehenge is amazing. I went with OH many years ago – when you had free access to the circle, on a grey and lowering day – and it was brilliantly atmospheric.
I recommend Bernard Cornwell’s Stonehenge as a really good read.
John
John – thanks for your suggestion. I’ll check it out. I love Bernard Cornwell’s books, and have read quite a few of them, but not this one.