Salisbury and Stonehenge

Last Tuesday I got to visit the legendary Stonehenge. Because it doesn't actually take very long to see this pile of rocks, the people from London Walks have coupled the Stonehenge excursion with the city of Salisbury.

For the past seven weeks I have lived in history, beautiful architecture, and picturesque scenery. Before my study abroad experiences, I could count on the fingers of one hand the times I had been inside a Catholic church. Now, I have visited SO many cathedrals (and I still take pictures of them because they are so elaborate… amazing truly.) On the one hand, I enjoy every moment I spend here. Even the simplest task or experience is elevated because-- well, I'm in the U.K. Even just sitting here in the park typing this blog has me in a near euphoric state (maybe the writing process, or the beautiful weather, or the fact that I feel myself enjoying the outdoors more and more-- whatever the case-- it's effing awesome.) On the other hand, because I've been around so much beauty, I'm not easily impressed anymore.

Although Salisbury and Stonehenge aren't any more beautiful than any other place I've visited in England, I rate it as one of my best excursions because -- well, (hello!) it's STONEHENGE.

Here are some of the things I learned from our guide Richard:
SALISBURY
• Salisbury dates back 2500 yrs. There was no roads, but some trading routes
• Iron age fort- top of the hill then became village of traders with accommodations for them and food
• Sarum was the original name of the town which means dry and desolate ( there was no drinking water at the top of the hill)
• 2000 years ago the Romans came to England and built first roads in England- they made Sarum into Roman fort
• William the Conqueror set up small power bases dotted around the country and he knocked down Roman fort but kept the stone tower which was 5 stories tall
• His nephew built a Cathedral with accommodations for clerics then villagers and a wall were added. Sarum had lots of soldiers and lots of clerics.
• The soldiers would make catapults to break the cathedral windows
• Bishop Poore moved church away from Sarum .. Built present cathedral and finished it in 1258 AD- this cathedral claims to have tallest spire in England.
• In Salisbury there is a tributary of the river Avon ( Avon = river)
• It was a bit risky to build the church where it is because it was so close to the water but unederneath the church there are granit chippings which stabilize the church
• Close= a church surrounded by houses
• It is still a fortified close at 11:30 pm at night the gate closes to city
• The close has houses built between 13th and 18th century
• It used to have a sheep/wool industry and by 1400s it was a wealthy city
• Cathedra - a bishop's chair
• Inside close there is a house for widows of clerics - it was built by a man who in his youth loved a young girl who married someone else , a cleric. When the cleric died, the girl (now an oldish woman) was destitute. In order to help the love of his life without taking away her dignity, he built a grand house for widows of clerics.
• The ladies who live in the house now complain love living there except that they have a 10pm curfew and the pubs don't close until 11pm.
• The oldest house in Salisbury was built in the 13th century and was later named The King's house because James I sometimes stayed there.
• There used to be a college for training teachers and Thomas Hardy's "Jude the Obscure" is set in Salisbury and involves a student of the teaching academy. Thomas Hardy wrote about people he knew and things he'd seen.
• All churches in England are built east to west and the high altar faces the east. The cathedral in Salisbury has a floorplan that resembles a crucifix
• An architect named Wyatt removed all the tombstones when he was commisioned to remodel the cathedral… so we were basically walking over a bunch of dead people as we walked on the lawn :/
• A crusader is buried in the cathedral. His wife was the Countess of Salisbury. He had initially plan to go on a crusade and be back in one year, but he didn't come back. After a few years, he was presumed dead. Because the Countess was wealthy she had many suitors pressuring her to remarry. One man went as far as to organize a huge feast in order for the Countess to marry his nephew. The crusader returned in time for the feast, and the man throwing the feast changed the reason for the feast to a welcome back party for the crusader. Unfortunately, the crusader died a week later. It was rumored that he was poisoned at the banquet, but nothing was ever proven. The coffin (is that's what it's called) where the crusader lies inside the cathedral is made of wood at the bottom and stone at the top. After a flood in the 19th century (I think) they opened up the coffin to assess damage the flood caused. The found a dead rat with all its fur on the head of the skeleton. They couldn't figure out 1) how the rat got there because the coffin was very well sealed 2) how the rat had been so well preserved. They did an autopsy on the rat and found the rat had died from arsenic poisoning. Further investigation found a chunk of human brain in the rat, so this proved the crusader had in fact been poisoned.
• The Cathedral also house one of six copies of the Magna Carta ( signed by King John and states no one is above the law and the initial idea for due process

STONEHENGE
• Saw Sting's weekend house on way to Stonehenge. His wife was the producer of "Lock, Stock, and Two Barrels" which was directed by Guy Ritchie. Sting and his wife introduced Guy Ritchie and Madonna during a party and the new couple honeymooned in Salisbury.
• 7,000 years ago the ice melted and this turned England into an island
• 4,000 BC people in England were hunters/gatherers
• 3,000 BC they started planting/harvesting and communities start to form and they start to domesticate animals: dogs, goats, cattle
• 3,100 BC they start making henge - they dig ditch and creat 6ft bank around it-- it used to have a wood structure -- wood henge
• Henge = ditch + bank
• 2500 BC - new inhabitants of area brought stone
• Bluestone first to be moved from 240 miles away; larger stones are from 18 miles away
• Inside the henge there is an altar stone
• This henge is unique because the stones have been dressed (basically been made into a rectangular shape.) This is amazing because this was before the Iron Age and so they didn't have very good tools. They probably used a stone hammer made from a stronger stone than the stones they were shaping :/ They used animal antlers and shoulder blades to dig holes to make stones secure.
• Stone henge was probably a place to worship people who just died and ancestors
• Because of Stonehenge the inhabitants learned about periods of time (from the shadows the stones made and the path of the sun in relation to the stones) and were able to make a calendar ( spring equinox = equal day and night 21st of March, summer solstice = sun hovers, autumn equinox, winter solstice) They learned how far the sun/moon moved-- sun/moon crossed middle of circle
• It also has 56 holes equally spaced
• DRUIDS DID NOT BUILD HENGE! They told some man they built it and the man published the diary where he said the Druids built the henge, but carbon dating of the rubbish used to stabilize the stones shows it was built way before the Druids got to the area.
• Stonehenge area was also used as a burial ground for leaders of the community. Large mounds containing the leaders' remains and objects to be used in the afterlife lie throughout the area.
• Things that have threatened Stonehenge: Christianity wanting to get rid of pagan symbols, railways that brought tourists, and--
• A man who lived near Stonehenge actually started to rent out miniature pick-axes so that tourists could take a piece of Stonehenge with them!
• Stonehenge has a sacrificial stone as well. Although it is thought that there was never any human sacrifices in Stonehenge, they did find the remains of a 26yr old male near the sacrificial stone dating to about 400 AD. It is thought that money will soon be raised for further excavation of the area to find more remains.