World Famous Sites

At 6:30 last Tuesday morning, we headed southwest to Stonehenge!  The five and a half hour drive included 90 minutes of slow-downs due to a stalled truck, road construction, and rush hour traffic here and there.

Stonehenge sets on the Salisbury Plain, which is “a chalk plateau in southern England covering 300 square miles.” Not only does it offer rich archaeological opportunities, but also “large areas of it are given over to military training; thus, the sparsely populated plain is the biggest remaining area of grassland in northwest Europe.”

I loved the drive through the plain because it reminded so much of the Willamette Valley along I-5 south of Salem. Often the land was flat as it stretched away from the highway, and there was a ridge of hills off in the distance on both sides of the road. As stated, so like the WV.

ANCIENT STONEHENGE

I took my time going through the visitor center, stopping to read nearly all the information in the display cases. My favorite was this one of a skeleton estimated to be 5000 years old, discovered nearby. Using advanced forensic methods (think Bones or Body of Proof) scientists were able to reconstruct the head as seen here.

The word, Stonehenge, is comprised of two words: stone is obvious but henge needs some explanation. It “loosely describes one of three related types of neolithic earthwork. The essential characteristic of all three is that they feature a ring-shaped bank and ditch, with the ditch inside the bank.”

Henges are made of stone or wood, and there are at least a half dozen different henges in England. One reason that Stonehenge is the most famous is because its sarsen stones came from the Presli Hills in Wales and perhaps as far as northern Scotland. (continued in third paragraph below)

These restructured huts are thought to have been occupied by those who worshipped at Stonehenge on special events, like the celebration of the midsummer or, more likely, the midwinter solstices.

Inside, there were pallets made of narrow, woven tree limbs, set on top of a bed of small stones. Yikes! How uncomfortable! (I thought futons were unbearable!) Next, I chose to ride the shuttle bus to the famous circle of giant stones atop a rise in the plain.

With the stones weighing an average of 25 tons and reaching a length of more than 24 feet, how could people living 5000 years ago move such giants? In spite of educated speculation, no one knows. And why would ancient people go to such trouble? Again, no definitive answers, but it does seem likely that there were religious reasons.

This World Heritage site draws more than million visitors each year. We were among them; but  after a three-hour visit, we drove north to spend the next two nights at a Premier Inn in Newbury, only five miles from our next stop, Highclere Mansion. (Quoted material from Wikipedia)

HIGHCLERE CASTLE: FILMING SITE FOR DOWNTON ABBEY

We arrived at nine o’clock on a misty Wednesday morning. After having a scone and a cup of coffee in the snack shop, we toured the first and second floors of the house, walking through the library, sitting room, dining room and staircase, all made familiar by numerous films, especially Downton Abbey.

Highclere mansion has been transformed from its roots in Anglo- Saxon Times to a medieval palace, a Tudor place house, a Georgian house and today this iconic Victorian Castle. It sits in a 5000-acre park that is now owned and maintained by the eighth earl of Carnarvon.

Not only made famous by film, but Highclere Mansion is famed for its extensive Egyptian exhibition which is housed in the basement of the house, The fifth Earl of Carnarvon had been advised by his physician to spend winters in a warm dry climate, and he chose Egypt as his second home. He was a British Egyptologist who was the patron and associate of archaeologist, Howard Carter. They worked together for 15 years between 1907 and 1922 excavating Egyptian tombs. On November 4th, 1922, they discovered the tomb of King Tutankhamen.

Kat’s and Rick’s first visit to the site together.

Pictures were not allowed within the house; so, Rick took plenty outside. This good mother-daughter photo was taken at a popular vantage point of the house. The tree behind me was the one under which Maggie Smith sat for a picnic in her final episode of Downton Abbey. The weather was gray with temps in the 50’s throughout the day, like Oregon.

Linda Highman

15 Responses

  1. so awesome. thank you for the history lesson and from downtown abbey references. looks like it was a great mini vacation. you are missed at home. take care an blessings.

  2. Oh how lovely and even though I’m probably one of the few to never have seen any Downton Abbey episodes, I appreciated the outdoor photos (bravo, Ian/Rick) and wondered at the interior architecture and decor. Think I’ll Google it.
    Stonehenge was a first for all and even though constructed for other religious purposes, I thought of this scripture:
    “As you come to Him, the living Stone — rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to Him — you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ‘See I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in Him will never be put to shame.’ “ I Peter 2: 4-6

    1. I truly appreciate the scriptural perspective that you give to Stonehenge. As I read the I Peter passage, I was remembering the giant stones, both the ones standing straight and the couple lying flat. Regardless of position, they give visual substance to the verses. Thanks, Sheri.

  3. Oh my goodness sakes, the inside rooms of Highclere Castle shown on Google are spectacular!!! The site I went to said that occasionally a selected few could spend one night there for only L150 or about $200 (including tea and dinner)…must be an old post, huh?!

    1. I’m glad that my post prompted further investigation on your part. I found that Wikipedia gave a listing of all the many films that included scenes at the Highclere Castle. Did you see the list? They are currently in the process of making the third and final Downton movie, which is due out this year. I missed the six seasons of Downton Abbey when it was televised. But after Ed’s death 19 months ago, I had the time to sit and watch the series through twice. I know that you would enjoy it if you ever started it. There were several story elements that were part of Highclere’s history like the house being used as a military convalescent hospital during WWI and the place of leadership that the earl had in the local community.
      I don’t know whether or not any of the rooms are open to one-night stays, but I did read that it is no longer open to weddings.

      1. Thanks for your feedback, Linda. No, I did not see the list of films produced with Highclere Castle scenes in them. I would imagine they are quite glorious!
        Presently, I’ve not time to view Downton Abbey. We never have the TV on during the day and Vern’s news channels dominate the evening’s expendable time…perhaps one day…
        What do you hear from your publisher regarding your Doggie Devotionals?

        1. Ironic that you should ask about publishing Doggie Devotionals. Today I hear from my editor regarding her third (and final?) edit of the book. Then two o’clock (UK time) I meet for the second time with the Senior Publishing Specialist at BookBaby, a self publishing company. There are two routes to a published book.
          Traditional: the publisher buys and publishes the book, having complete control over the process. The author is paid up front, and has very little say in the process that could stretch into months or years.
          The self-publishing route: the author pays up front and has complete control over the many stages of the process. He/she can purchase specific services offered by the self-publishing company, and the book can be ready for sale in six weeks (with BookBaby). It would be great to have DD available for Christmas giving!
          Today I need to decide which route to take; I am leaning heavily towards BookBaby. Next, I must decide which level of services I want to purchase. The three levels are approximately $1000, $2000, and $3000. Of course, Of course, I cannot afford more than $1000; so, I guess that’s the level I must choose.
          I am glad that you asked because answering helped to clarify issues for myself. Anyway, please ask the Lord’s guidance and overriding grace in all of this. Thanks, Sweet Friend.

  4. Looks like a wonderful adventure yet again for the “three amigos”! And I must say also how lovely you are looking Aunt Linda; travel, rest, family time, it all suits you.😘

  5. Zowzers…such an exciting time in the book realm!!! I have just read your teachings on types of publishing and have prayed! I love knowing God is listening and answering! How sweet to be able to hold-up other Believers – for His glory and their good, because as you and Ed have reiterated, GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME… 😊✝️💗

    1. Thank you, Sheri, for reading and commenting. I have decided to go with the publishing level that costs $2200. I only have half that; so, I must continue to say, “I believe the concepts in Doggie Devotionals come from God. He has brought it this far, He will provide to take it into publication.” Thanks for praying. Please continue since the big steps forward will be happening in the next couple weeks.
      Love in Him,
      Linda

  6. This looks like so much fun! I’ve always been a sucker for museums and tours of famous locations. Seeing the footprints of past generations have always sparked my interest about many different subjects as well. Thank you for this!

    1. Gratified by your comment, Chase, because you appreciate history that has been made by people so much like us in the 21st century AD. My next post features a half dozen animals. However the following post will focus on Victory in Europe Day, celebrated as a national holiday not only in the United Kingdom but in France, Germany, and in Poland, too. Thanks again for your response.