Stonehenge (literally “hanging stones”), designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site is probably the most important prehistoric monument in the whole of Britain. It stands as a timeless monument to the people who built it using basic tools such as antler picks and bone “shovels”. The construction is ingenious. The stones used came from two sources; the smaller bluestones from the Preseli Hills in Pembrokeshire, West Wales and the larger super-hard “sarsen” stones from nearby Marlborough Downs.
Its orientation on the rising and setting sun remains a mystery. Is it simply because the builders came from a sun-worshipping culture or part of a huge astronomical calendar?
Interestingly, what we see today is only about half the original monument. Some stones have fallen down, while others have been taken away to be used for building elsewhere.
The Heel Stone (also known as "Friar's Heel" and "Sun-stone"), a rough stone, 16 feet above ground, leaning inwards towards the stone circle, lies just outside the main entrance to the henge, next to the present A344 road. According to folk tale, The Devil bought the stones from a woman in Ireland, wrapped them up, and brought them to Salisbury plain. One of the stones fell into the Avon, the rest were carried to the plain. The Devil then cried out, "No-one will ever find out how these stones came here!" A friar replied, "That’s what you think!" whereupon the Devil threw one of the stones at him and struck him on the heel. The stone stuck in the ground and is still there. Some claim "Friar's Heel" is a corruption of "Freyja's He-ol" from the Nordic goddess Freyja and the Welsh word for track. A more simple explanation for the name might be that the stone heels, or leans.
Audio guides are complimentary and available in ten languages. To complete the journey, visit the superb gift shop and the Stonehenge Cafe on the way out.
Visit the dynamitetravels website (please click on the enclosed link) to read more about Stonehenge.
http://wwww.dynamitetravels.com/stonehenge-stone-circles-salisbury
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