15 August 10.00am – 6.20pm (Sunday)
By agent - Cotswold Roaming
1) Salisbury Cathedral
2) Stonehenge
3) Avebury
We travel over the beautiful Berkshire and Wiltshire Downs past the hill fort of Old Sarum, site of one of Britain’s oldest settlements to the city of Salisbury. Nearby at Salisbury Cathedral you can see an original copy of the Magna Carta and admire the tallest spire in Britain (2 hours, 20 minutes in Salisbury). After lunch we travel up the Avon valley to Stonehenge, the most mysterious and enigmatic of all monuments (55 minutes stop). Moving deeper into Ancient Britain, we pass a chalk hill figure and the West Kennet Long Barrow, a burial chamber dating back 5,500 years. The tour continues to Avebury, Britain’s largest stone circle (40 minutes stop), before the return to Oxford via the Vale of the White Horse.
Salisbury Cathedral
Salisbury Cathedral, formally known as the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is an Anglican cathedral inSalisbury, England, considered one of the leading examples of Early English architecture. The main body was completed in only 38 years. The cathedral has the tallest church spire in the United Kingdom (123m/404 ft). Visitors can take the "Tower Tour" where the interior of the hollow spire, with its ancient wood scaffolding, can be viewed. The cathedral also has the largest cloister (enclosure, surrounded space) and the largest cathedral close (architectural term referring to the series of buildings that serve as appendages to a cathedral) in Britain (80 acres). The Cathedral contains the world's oldest working clock (from AD 1386) and has one of the four surviving original copies of the Magna Carta (all four original copies are in England).[1] Although commonly known as Salisbury Cathedral, the official name is the Cathedral of Saint Mary. In 2008, the cathedral celebrated the 750th anniversary of its consecration in 1258.
Magna Carta
Magna Carta (Latin for "Great Charter") is one of the most celebrated documents in English history. At the time it was the solution to a political crisis in Medieval England but its importance has endured as it has become recognised as a cornerstone of liberty influencing much of the civilized world. A visit to view the best preserved original Magna Carta in the Chapter House is for many visitors the highlight of their time at Salisbury Cathedral.
How did the Magna Carta come about?
The feudal system bound medieval society together in a hierarchy of relationships. Under the feudal system the King was all-powerful. Dispute grew between the barons and bishops and King John over his poor government, heavy war taxes and quarrels with the Pope. Weakened by his defeat by the French in 1214 and keen to avoid a civil war he feared losing, King John met the barons at Runnymede (between Windsor and Staines in Southern England) on 15 June 1215 and agreed the terms of the document now known as Magna Carta. Its content, driven by the concerns of barons and church, was designed to re-balance power between the King and his subjects. When King John set his seal on Magna Carta he conceded the fundamental principle that even as king he was not above the law.
Stonehenge
One of the most famous sites in the world, Stonehenge is composed of earthworks surrounding a circular setting of large standing stones. It is at the centre of the most dense complex of Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments in England, including several hundred burial mounds. Archaeologists had believed that the iconic stone monument was erected around 2500 BC, as described in the chronology below. One recent theory, however, has suggested that the first stones were not erected until 2400-2200 BC, whilst another suggests that bluestones may have been erected at the site as early as 3000 BC. The surrounding circular earth bank and ditch, which constitute the earliest phase of the monument, have been dated to about 3100 BC. The site and its surroundings were added to the UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites in 1986 in a co-listing with Avebury Henge monument. It is a national legally protected Scheduled Ancient Monument. Stonehenge is owned by the Crown and managed by English Heritage, while the surrounding land is owned by the National Trust. Archaeological evidence found by the Stonehenge Riverside Project in 2008 indicates that Stonehenge served as a burial ground from its earliest beginnings. The dating of cremated remains found on the site indicate burials from as early as 3000 BC, when the initial ditch and bank were first dug. Burials continued at Stonehenge for at least another 500 years.
Quick guide
Age: estimated at 3100 BC
Location: Wiltshire, UK
OS Reference: SU 122 422
Type of stone: Bluestone, Sarson, Welsh Sandstone
Worship: Lunar, Solar
Access: English Heritage - there is a charge to visit the stones
Extra notes: Except on special or arranged occasions, visitors are unable to walk amongst the stones
Avebury
Avebury is the site of an ancient monument consisting of a large henge, several stone circles, stone avenues and barrows, surrounding the village of Avebury in the English county of Wiltshire. It is one of the finest and largest Neolithic monuments in Europe, about 5,000 years old. Although older than the megalithic stages of Stonehenge 32 kilometres (20 mi) to the south, the two monuments are broadly contemporary overall. Avebury is roughly midway between the towns of Marlboroughand Calne, just off the main A4 road on the northbound A4361 towards Wroughton. Avebury is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, a World Heritage Site, and a National Trust property.
By agent - Cotswold Roaming
1) Salisbury Cathedral
2) Stonehenge
3) Avebury
We travel over the beautiful Berkshire and Wiltshire Downs past the hill fort of Old Sarum, site of one of Britain’s oldest settlements to the city of Salisbury. Nearby at Salisbury Cathedral you can see an original copy of the Magna Carta and admire the tallest spire in Britain (2 hours, 20 minutes in Salisbury). After lunch we travel up the Avon valley to Stonehenge, the most mysterious and enigmatic of all monuments (55 minutes stop). Moving deeper into Ancient Britain, we pass a chalk hill figure and the West Kennet Long Barrow, a burial chamber dating back 5,500 years. The tour continues to Avebury, Britain’s largest stone circle (40 minutes stop), before the return to Oxford via the Vale of the White Horse.
Salisbury Cathedral
Salisbury Cathedral, formally known as the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is an Anglican cathedral inSalisbury, England, considered one of the leading examples of Early English architecture. The main body was completed in only 38 years. The cathedral has the tallest church spire in the United Kingdom (123m/404 ft). Visitors can take the "Tower Tour" where the interior of the hollow spire, with its ancient wood scaffolding, can be viewed. The cathedral also has the largest cloister (enclosure, surrounded space) and the largest cathedral close (architectural term referring to the series of buildings that serve as appendages to a cathedral) in Britain (80 acres). The Cathedral contains the world's oldest working clock (from AD 1386) and has one of the four surviving original copies of the Magna Carta (all four original copies are in England).[1] Although commonly known as Salisbury Cathedral, the official name is the Cathedral of Saint Mary. In 2008, the cathedral celebrated the 750th anniversary of its consecration in 1258.Magna Carta
Magna Carta (Latin for "Great Charter") is one of the most celebrated documents in English history. At the time it was the solution to a political crisis in Medieval England but its importance has endured as it has become recognised as a cornerstone of liberty influencing much of the civilized world. A visit to view the best preserved original Magna Carta in the Chapter House is for many visitors the highlight of their time at Salisbury Cathedral.
How did the Magna Carta come about?
The feudal system bound medieval society together in a hierarchy of relationships. Under the feudal system the King was all-powerful. Dispute grew between the barons and bishops and King John over his poor government, heavy war taxes and quarrels with the Pope. Weakened by his defeat by the French in 1214 and keen to avoid a civil war he feared losing, King John met the barons at Runnymede (between Windsor and Staines in Southern England) on 15 June 1215 and agreed the terms of the document now known as Magna Carta. Its content, driven by the concerns of barons and church, was designed to re-balance power between the King and his subjects. When King John set his seal on Magna Carta he conceded the fundamental principle that even as king he was not above the law.
Stonehenge
One of the most famous sites in the world, Stonehenge is composed of earthworks surrounding a circular setting of large standing stones. It is at the centre of the most dense complex of Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments in England, including several hundred burial mounds. Archaeologists had believed that the iconic stone monument was erected around 2500 BC, as described in the chronology below. One recent theory, however, has suggested that the first stones were not erected until 2400-2200 BC, whilst another suggests that bluestones may have been erected at the site as early as 3000 BC. The surrounding circular earth bank and ditch, which constitute the earliest phase of the monument, have been dated to about 3100 BC. The site and its surroundings were added to the UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites in 1986 in a co-listing with Avebury Henge monument. It is a national legally protected Scheduled Ancient Monument. Stonehenge is owned by the Crown and managed by English Heritage, while the surrounding land is owned by the National Trust. Archaeological evidence found by the Stonehenge Riverside Project in 2008 indicates that Stonehenge served as a burial ground from its earliest beginnings. The dating of cremated remains found on the site indicate burials from as early as 3000 BC, when the initial ditch and bank were first dug. Burials continued at Stonehenge for at least another 500 years.
Quick guide
Age: estimated at 3100 BC
Location: Wiltshire, UK
OS Reference: SU 122 422
Type of stone: Bluestone, Sarson, Welsh Sandstone
Worship: Lunar, Solar
Access: English Heritage - there is a charge to visit the stones
Extra notes: Except on special or arranged occasions, visitors are unable to walk amongst the stones
Avebury
Avebury is the site of an ancient monument consisting of a large henge, several stone circles, stone avenues and barrows, surrounding the village of Avebury in the English county of Wiltshire. It is one of the finest and largest Neolithic monuments in Europe, about 5,000 years old. Although older than the megalithic stages of Stonehenge 32 kilometres (20 mi) to the south, the two monuments are broadly contemporary overall. Avebury is roughly midway between the towns of Marlboroughand Calne, just off the main A4 road on the northbound A4361 towards Wroughton. Avebury is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, a World Heritage Site, and a National Trust property.Souce: Wikipedia
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