Apologies to Stonehenge

Stonehenge 180

Image by Vicster

goffik Jul 24, 2003 07:30:10

A few days ago I posted a message saying I thought Stonehenge was a soulless place.

I feel a bit bad about that, as it truly is a magnificent site. The stones and surroundings are a treat for the senses.

I think the problem was that once inside, all I wanted to do was to wander around the stones, and get a good feel of the place (and I know I'm not alone here...!), but what with the barrier, and all the billions (I've told you a million times - don't exaggerate!) of other tourists around, I think I just felt a bit let down. I sort of expected it, but not to that degree.

I wonder what EH think we might do to these stones? They've been there for several thousands of years already, so I doubt I could do much to damage them. I wouldn't dream of, say, constructing a concrete path bisecting the earthworks, or building a carpark where some stones stood.

I think Stonehenge has had the life sucked out of it by uncaring guardians and the such. It is a landmark that is internationally recognised, therefore people feel the attraction towards it, but don't seem to get anything from it apart from "I went to Stonehenge and all I got was this lousy t-shirt". It's something to tell their mates, but I got the impression that people were thinking it is just a pile of stones. Walk round a bit - still a pile of stones. Walk round a bit - etc...

I would like to attend one of the Solstice gatherings, primarily to just get in amongst the stones, to see if it changes my opinion. I'm sure it would.

I think that what I'm trying to say is that, in my limited experience, I get a lot more "magic" from lesser known sites, such as <A HREF="http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/browse.php?site_id=229">Boskawen-Un</A>, and <A HREF="http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/browse.php?site_id=307">The Merry Maidens</A> and the <A HREF="http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/browse.php?site_id=48">Rempstone</A> circle (god, I hope those links work or I'll never hear the end of it! :oD)... I'm sure people will agree to a certain extent. I'm not blaming Stonehenge - it's not the fault of the place, it's the people.

Dear Mr/Ms EH (and various visitors),
Stop sucking the soul out of the place, fer gawd sake!

Yours sincerely
Goffik
xxx

goffik Jul 24, 2003 07:34:43

Replying to goffik

PS - I have checked the links on my PC at home and they all work! For me, anyway...

;o)

G
x

FourWinds Jul 24, 2003 08:38:25

Replying to goffik

Although the actual links work, the way you've entered them doesn't :-)

Clever old Hols as made so that all you need to do is enter the URL. No need for the "a href=" malarcky!

just simply type in http://www.headheritage.co.uk and always leave a space after the URL ... no putting it in quotes or anything.

I know what you're saying about Stonehenge by the way! It's how I feel about Newgrange. At least they haven't poorly reconstructed Stonehenge .... yet!

Kammer Jul 24, 2003 09:36:03

Replying to goffik

I entirely agree with your sentiments Goffick. The place is a bit of a mess.

K x

pixie46 Jul 24, 2003 09:49:56

Replying to goffik

i agree, Goffik.
when i went about 3 years ago i felt so angry /sad/ all these poeole walking round with large mobile phone things stuck to their ears, listening to rubbish in various languages, with the odd hippie meditating on the ground,,,i just wanted to get out,yet i had waited so long to see it and i felt completely that the soul had gone from it. its a shame but then its soo different to all the other sites in the uk, well the ones i have been to anyway! that maybe its just an enigma anyway, maybe it lost its magic along time ago. i dunno, but it is a shame that the present guardians don't seem to know what the hell to do about it.
i don't know about the point you made about how just 'you' would harm it as theres lots of 'you's every day visitng it and touching it and potentially climbing upon it etc, and because of its popularity maybe the vast majority wouldn't appreciate the lichens or respect the state of the stones and the area, which we tend to. most of them are tourists with no interest or knowledge, except for the fact they've walked round it, bought the lousy t-shirt, and a lovely cardboard replica to cut out when they get home....most couldnt even truly look at it but just wandered aimlessly round with the black things stuck to the side of their heads,,,they all reminded me of aliens, just looking at a 'subject' not seeing anything else or wanting to because they hadnt been 'told to'. aaargh!
rant over, am off back to bed!
love
pixie
xx

Chris Collyer Jul 24, 2003 10:51:28

Replying to goffik

I don’t think you’ll find much disagreement with your sentiments about Stonehenge goffic.
This is something that’s worth investigating though. I went down last year after a long absence from the place and arrived in the early evening after the visitors had left. However there were a couple of people wandering around the stones and I found out from someone else that is possible to get some kind of pass from EH that allows you access to the site for an hour either side of the tourist opening times (for a suitable fee I should imagine). I may have got that wrong as I haven’t got round to following it up, but I think Pete G did that to get the photo’s for his Stonehenge screensaver.

An afterhours TMA meet inside the stones anybody?
;-)

-Chris

RiotGibbon Jul 24, 2003 11:04:56

Replying to goffik

Stonehenge rules - it's not like any other site, and the current visiting regime doesn't really let you get much of a picture of what's going on, but this might help

http://www.arch-ant.bham.ac.uk/bufau/SHBarrows/home.htm

the stones you see there now are just the final throw of a lot of change and redevelopment. It's an extraordinary landscape, and I love it to bits. Anywhere where this sort of thing happens is fine by me:
http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/image.php?image_id=12945

but i wouldn't if i paid 8 quid to wander around the edge for a bit ...

Cursuswalker Jul 24, 2003 11:34:21

Replying to goffik

I think your negative reaction to Stonehenge is understandable, and one I hear from a lot of people.

It is a site surrounded by anger and conflict, and it is therefore very hard to form a real link with the place. I only came to love Stonehenge when I got to spend a few minutes in the stones totally alone, at the start of my Stonehenge to Avebury walk in 2000.

A few weeks ago I got another few minutes inside the stones on my own and promptly realised I was going to propose to my partner! But though it was a good place to have the thought, it wasn't the place to do the actual proposal, though I did start to, such is its contradictory nature.

She said yes by the way...when I actually got round to it later that day at the Chalice Well in Glastonbury.