Wiltshire

Wiltshire is a land of farmer's fields and strange rock formations…

Stonehenge is in the middle of no-where on a small hill visible from the A303 that passes close by. In recent years a massive new visitor center has been opened on the far side of the site where there is a large car park with dedicated coaches that take you to the stones. When walking around the site it is now very clear to understand the significance of what you can see with the removal of modern structures near the actual stones with clear visibility of many of the surrounding barrows (burial mounds) and the mysterious “Stonehenge Curses” (that no one seems to understand).

Due to the popularity of the site they try to keep the impact of visitors to a minimum so while walking around it is often difficult, very intentionally, to spot anything of the facilities. The admission fee is quite high but it includes access to various exhibits (including an interesting 360-degree video) and a coach ride to/from the stones which are about a mile away from the centre.

There are a number of walking trails around the site for which maps are available. There is a lot more to the site than simply the stones so it is worthwhile spending some time and walking around to appreciate it.

They do not allow you closer than about 4 meters to the stones due to the damage to the surrounding soil from many years of tourists. An audio tourguide is available for hire from the tourist center but there is also a free mobile phone APP with the same information on it.

A small recreation of houses that would have been used about the time the stones were erected can be found near the visitor centre and offer an insight into their lives.

Please see Official Tourism Web Site.

Salisbury is cathedral town just south of Stonehenge that is well worth a visit if only for the Salisbury Catheral alone (which has a small admission charge and also offers tours of it's famously tilted steeple) though there is also a pleasant town centre with walks along the tiny River Avon.

The town is quite old though many of the buildings have been taken over by modern chains there are a few places that retain their old charm. Find a small pub and sit in the back garden enjoying the peaceful surroundings.

For visitors arriving by car there are a number of large public car parks clearly signposted as you enter the city.

Please see the Visit Salisbury site for additional information.