Thanks for checking out the next blog in my series on traveling outside of London during your time abroad! If you didn’t get a chance to start at the beginning, make sure you read my first post here.

My first trip is an easy trip to see one of the wonders of the world: Stonehenge! It is located west of London, and while you can make a day trip out of it, I would highly recommend finding another stop or two so you are maximizing your time. We made a brief stop at Stonehenge on our way to Wales for the weekend. When I say brief, I mean brief. We were only able to spend about an hour there, so we didn’t get a chance to check out too much of the extras during our visit. 

Stonehenge Sign

Arrival

Stonehenge is geographically located in Wiltshire, England, about 2 miles west of Amesbury and 8 miles north of Salisbury. Although I knew what Stonehenge was, but I don’t know what I expected to see. While you feel like you are in the middle of nowhere, you end up coming upon an area with a bunch of cars parked in a field and a large set of rocks. From where you park, to where you go to see the formation, it is quite the walk so make sure you wear comfortable shoes. You actually park on grass, so be careful where you walk. 

Parking

Start of the Line

The Walk

It is a little bit more anticlimactic than you’d expect. You walk through the front, where there are several things to see and you can get more information about Stonehenge. Then you continue walking towards the formation. You’ll see everyone else walking in a circle around it, and you’ll follow suit. There is a path, so don’t worry about walking in the wrong area. Make sure you take plenty of pictures from different angles. You’ll be glad you did. It took us about 30 mins to walk completely around it. There are typically a lot of people there, so keep that in mind. Once you make a full circle, you can continue back to the first area where you started. There is no certain pace. We were only given an hour to be there, so we had to walk a little bit faster around it. Make sure you take it and enjoy it. It’s a truly fascinating formation when you start to think about the history behind it. 

Walking Circle Around Stonehenge

Things to Think About

While the truth has never been discovered, a lot of speculation has come up over the years about the formation. Archaeologists believe this prehistoric monument was constructed thousands of years ago. Coming from the United States, that can be hard to grasp history going that far back. That said, how did they move the rocks? They didn’t have anywhere near the technology we know of today. And why did they do it? Stonehenge is seemingly in the middle of nowhere with nothing else around it. It is amazing to think of how long the formation has been in place and hopefully will continue to be in place for many more years. 

Ready to visit Stonehenge?

Nothing Nearby

Close Up

Click here to read my next blog about Bath. Catch you next time! 

Heather Robinette is the London Study Abroad Editor for Wandering Educators. She notes, "During the summer of 2011, I studied abroad for six weeks in London at the University of Westminster with Academics Programs International. I graduated from Kansas State University in Manhattan, KS in December 2012 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. I currently work as a marketing analyst for a small company in central Texas. I currently work as a marketing coordinator for a real estate firm in Las Vegas, NV. I am also pursuing my MBA. While I was abroad in London, I was able to create many unforgettable memories that I will never forget! My study abroad experience helped me gain various skills, but above all else, it helped me to learn more about myself and the world around me." You can find her online at http://www.heatherrobinette.com/

Click here to read more of Heather's articles about studying abroad in London.

All photos courtesy and copyright Heather Robinette