Stonehenge has always fascinated me. You can see the imposing monument as you drive through the English Countryside; located in the county of Wiltshire, its grand stones stand impressively and draw you in to stop and take a look.
Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument, a world heritage sight, and one of the best known prehistoric monuments in Europe.[1]
It has a history dating back for over 4500 years, yet despite all that we have learned so far, its purpose very much remains one of the greatest mysteries of the world.
Visiting Stonehenge
I have always wanted to visit Stonehenge, to try to understand, and to piece together in my mind its purpose and meaning. Considered one of the best known ancient wonders of the world, it is an iconic monument that I want to say I have visited in my lifetime. Myself and Mr S have talked about it for a year or so, but we were unsure if it was a place that would be appropriate for young children. Would they get bored quickly? Is it family friendly? The only way to find out I guess was to visit, so on a very windy but sunny day we took the long drive and ventured out to see what all the fuss was about.
Parking is available on site and is free to English Heritage members and Stonehenge ticket holders. You can download a map of the road access and parking. There is a visitor shuttle available regularly from the visitor centre, and this takes you to to the stones (about ten minutes) or to the Fargo Plantation (half way to the stones) where you then have the option to walk the rest of the way if you wish.
Tickets and Prices
Member – Free
Adult £16.50 (without gift aid) £18.20 (with gift aid)
Child (5-15) £9.90 (without gift aid) £10.90 (with gift aid)
Family (2 adults, up to 3 children) £42.90 £47.30
Visit the website for opening times and further details.
For a small fee (£3) you can purchase an audio tour. There are also family audio tours available for the younger children. The girls loved them, they are interactive, informative and well worth purchasing to get the most out of your visit.
Family Friendly
Stonehenge is very much a family friendly place. It is well signposted off the main roads, and there is ample car parking, with designated family and disabled parking spaces closer to the attraction. The first thing I noticed is that the paths are all buggy friendly, even around the attraction itself. There is baby changing facilities at the visitor centre and highchairs available in the cafe.
Our visit
On arrival we took the bus straight to the stones. The buses were regular and you can take the bus without having to collapse the pushchair which is always a bonus. The audio tapes kept the girls entertained from the outset. They were interactive, and informative for the children, and both the girls were captivated by the story.
We walked around the circle of stones, reading the various information boards, and listening to the audio recordings. There were quite a lot of visitors around at this time, but the area is vast and it didn’t affect our visit or the atmosphere. We found our visit to Stonehenge a real adventure, it allowed a glimpse into a past that we know nothing about. The audio tapes and information boards added to the experience, they really transported you back in time.
Stonehenge was built in phases over thousands of years, but considering the sarsen stones weigh on average 25 tons, it is still not understood how the Neolithic people built it using their simple tools
A walk around the stones can provoke lots of strange feelings. It has a sense of calmness about it, yet I could also describe it as haunting, mysterious and in some ways magical.
There are many theories around the purpose of Stonehenge. These have included a place for crowning of Danish Kings, a Druid temple, a place for worship, a centre for healing and a historic temple aligned with the movement of the sun. [2]
Archaeologists are some way from understanding why Stonehenge was built, no-one is really sure of its purpose.
During our day we visited the circle of stones, explored the neolithic houses, and marvelled in the exhibition, before stopping off in the shop (purchasing a book or two) , and enjoying an ice cream in the cafe.
We had a wonderful and memorable day, one that I will remember for years to come.
I remain in awe of the fact that despite all the years of research, theories and myths, its purpose, and how it got there still remains very much a mystery.
Have you ever visited Stonehenge?
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A family day out at Stonehenge, Wiltshire
http://www.visitwiltshire.co.uk
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**Disclosure – We were provided with passes to Stonehenge by Visit Wiltshire in exchange for a review. All opinions and views are of mine and my family.**
[1] English heritage (2017)
[2]English heritage (2017); history.com (2017)
