What, I've been here nearly 4 years and I haven't been to Stonehenge? I have a vague recollection, the old memory not being quite what it was, of visiting around 35 years ago, so it was about time I paid a refresher visit. Not only that, I'm not getting my monies worth from my English Heritage membership and as this is one of the more spendy sites to visit, I felt I should get some value out of it.
So on what can be called a "sunny day" (i.e. no rain), I set off. Not having a car can prove challenging, but I'm sure the same can be said for having a car. First, a short 35 minute train ride to Salisbury. With my newly acquired senior railcard, (along with free prescriptions, the only benefits of turning 60) the return trip cost £9.30. Check. Next, working out the bus to Stonehenge. There is Stonehenge Tour bus that leaves from the station every hour - easy. Only downside, although my English Heritage means free entry, the bus is not free. In fact, it's ridiculously expensive for a return 30 minute ride. £20. OK, financially challenged and outraged at this cost, I looked for another option. The X2 local bus. Excellent and bound to be much cheaper. Some confusion on the stop, a lovely old lady assuring me it was on the other side, but I was putting my faith in google maps who was telling me it was stop SE that would whisk me away to Stonehenge and not SW that was on the other side. Anyway, it didn't matter, I had over an hour to kill, so would go for a stroll and pop into the Information Centre seeking clarity.
Salisbury is a gorgeous city. "A Cathedral city of ageless beauty and captivating history, Salisbury has been welcoming travellers since 1227." I bet back then they didn't have to pay £20 to get to Stonehenge. I've been here before, but worth a return visit. At the info centre, I inquired as to this magical bus that would take me to Stonehenge without requiring the hefty payment of £20. Yes, this bus does indeed exist, but it only comes by 3 times a day and doesn't stop at Stonehenge on the way back. Oh and the lovely old lady at the bus stop - she was right. Google was wrong.
The kind info centre lady then proceeded to tell me about the Stonehenge Tour Bus that leaves every hour and if I hurried , there was one in 3 minutes leaving from the stop just around the corner. The pressure. I'd come all this way. What did I do? Sod it, I hot-footed it around the corner, tapped my card with gritted teeth and took a seat. You do get a pair of headphones and a bit of running commentary for your hard earned £20.
Off we went, driving through some lovely Wiltshire countryside and arrived at Stonehenge. Well sort of. A few minutes walk and I was at the large Welcome centre (that was definitely not here the last time I visited). Wristband attached, I had a walk through the exhibition area. Very interesting and lots of old stuff.
After that , I decided to catch the (free) shuttle bus out to the stones. It's around 2km away. And there it stands, in all it's mystical glory. Stonehenge construction began around 3100 BC and continued until about 1600 BC. The famous circle of large stones were placed between 2600 BC and 2400 BC. Mind blowing to think "how." After a loop around to get the views from all sides and take the obligatory pics, I jumped back on the shuttle bus and it was time for the gift shop. I was able to resist the allure of over priced trinkets (did I mention the £20 bus fare?). I also gave a miss to the cafe, even if I get a 10% discount with my English Heritage card, because some forward planning meant I'd picked up a meal deal at Tesco and had eaten my rather tasty Christmas themed chicken, stuffing and cranberry sauce sandwich. I do love a good meal deal and the limited edition offerings are always interesting to say the least. I wonder who comes up with them? Hmm pigs in blankets, sweet corn, gravy and brussel sprouts - sounds delish, let's add that in next week.
It was then time to retrace my steps. Back on board the £20 Stonehenge Tour Bus to the station, train back to Southampton and I'd made it. A successful outing and a tick off the list. Final thoughts. I don't think the stones themselves have moved since my last visit. Aliens. I think Aliens built Stonehenge. And it still looks bigger on the telly, but it's still a very impressive sight.
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