London-Day 2

First stop today- Heathrow Airport to rent a car. Thomas was brave enough to drive on the wrong side of the car, on the wrong side of the road, shifting with his left hand among 100 million round abouts. So thankful he was willing to do it because we had an amazing day. I took 238 pictures today! Here are a few from each place.

Stop 1: Stonehenge
This was so amazing to see in person. I kept taking pictures of each and every angle. Thomas had a better idea of the setting, but I was completely surprised that we were just driving along and then all of a sudden we were passing by Stonehenge right along the roadway. We arrived at the visitor center where we were given an audio guide to listen to as we visited the monument. We then boarded a bus and rode a couple miles out to the site. On a nice day it would have been a great walk, but on this particular day it was very windy so we chose to ride the bus out.

       

The stone in the picture above is referred to as the heel stone. This stone marks the location of the sunrise and sunset at the solstices. While it is still debated the purpose of Stonehenge,  one theory is that is was an ancient type of calendar that allowed the people to mark or track the passage of time. 

In the picture above you can see a series of 5 burrows that line the hillside next to Stonehenge. Within a 2 mile radius around Stonehenge there are more than 300 burrows. These burial mounds often contain multiple people, likely families or clans. While using barrows for burial and rituals was common throughout England, the number of them surrounding Stonehenge is extraordinary. It is unknown why, but researchers have concluded that being buried within close proximity to Stonehenge must have been important. Another theory about the reason for Stonehenge centers around a burial ground for Elite families.

This picture was taken of the ground as we walked around Stonehenge. You can see the large chunks of chalk in the dirt. 

The pictures above show two of the Aubrey holes around the monument. One is marked in the walkway and the other filled in the grass. Like much surrounding Stonehenge, there are not clear answers about the 56 Aubrey Holes and their origin or purpose. It is widely believed that these holes were part of the first phase of the monument.

Did you know that Stonehenge has been repaired? Beginning in 1901 a stone was straightened due to a dangerous lean and in 1958 an entire stone that had fallen and was re-erected. Notice in the photo on the left, concrete now helps support this stone.

 Located at the visitor center are five Neolithic houses. They were built based on archaeological evidence of houses found in the area. Each one had a chalk floor, a hearth and stake-built walls. Some had evidence of furniture and chalk cob walls.
                                         
Stop 2: Old Sarum
This is the site of the earliest settlement of Salisbury in England. It consists of three main parts: the hillfort, the remains of the ancient castle, and the remains of an ancient cathedral. It was demolished and most of the useable parts taken to be used but the inner part of the walls made of chert still remains.

Stop 3: Titchfield Abbey
First built in the 13th century, Titchfield Abbey in Hampshire was home to a community of canons who lived communally, like moks, but also preached and served as priests in the local community. After the Suppression of the Monasteries, Henry VII gave the abbey to Sir Thomas Wriothesley, Earl of Southhampton, who transformed the buildings into a grand Tutor Mansion called Place House.

Notice the phone in Thomas' hand? We were able to FaceTime the boys to show them live video of this "castle". They were amazed just like we were. There were a couple of women and their children playing there while we wandered around. As we left I said to them that we were imagining what it would be like to ask our children, "Want to go play at the castle today?" To which she replied, "That's exactly what they think it is." 

Stop 4: Portchester Castle
We arrived at Portchester Castle about 3:45 PM and it closes at 4 PM so we were unable to actually climb the spiral staircase and view the English Channel from the rooftop. However, we spent time exploring the grounds and then around the outside of the castle walls. Portchester Castle, was originally built in the 3rd century and has been a key fort over the centuries due to its location on the English Channel.

Touching the water in the English Channel and collecting a rock or two of course.

Stop 5: Mother Kelly's

We stopped at Mother Kelly's for an early dinner to experience our first taste of fish and chips in the UK. Thomas ordered the platter which included some other delicacies including these breaded bait fish which were too fishy for even Thomas to eat.