Jan 20, 2010

Stonehenge, Bath & Windsor

London Spring Break 3/3

By Lisa T. Bergren, 2009

They told me I shouldn’t do it. Too much, for one day. And I agree—it was a lot. I wouldn’t do it again. But to get a handle on three iconic locations outside of London (Stonehenge, Bath and Windsor) was fabulous. And with the aid of a personal guide and driver via the small group tours of International Friends, we did a pretty decent job of it. Our guide had taken Jodi Picoult and her children on a similar tour last time she was in London—I figured we were in pretty good hands…(And I was just a tiny bit smug about it. “Me and Jodi, we’re like this.”)

We drove out of London early, to beat the traffic and make the most of our packed day. (Did you know that a thousand Roman paces equal a mile? We covered a lot of those.) We drove through picturesque villages off the highway, hilly, curvy roads through green fields and roaming herds of sheep, and our guide pointed out the various methods of thatching, which help identify a region. “Here you see the flint stone and wheat straw common in Wiltshire, very different from the water reed thatching of Norfolk, of course.”

After a pleasant drive, and a stop for coffee (Thank You Lord, for caffeine) we came across Stonehenge, sitting on a knoll right beside the highway. My 11-year-old exclaimed, “THAT’S HERE?!? I didn’t know THAT’S here!” (I obviously failed to bring her into the final planning stages…)

Stonehenge

Our guide got us to the Stonehenge site before any of the major bus tours, which was lovely. He also set us straight on some key facts:

1. It wasn’t build by Druids–it was built 1000 years before that cult existed
2. Surrounding hills are actually mass burial sites
3. The 2-4 ton Bluestones (meaning “foreign,” not literally blue) were likely shipped along canals or over the Irish Sea Glacier or over rolling logs–from Wales, 250 miles away. And there were almost 2x as many as you see today!
4. There is some graffiti on the stones, and most notable is the cross and “Wren” inscribed by Christopher Wren, builder of St. Paul’s and 53 other churches in London (For shame, Sir Wren, for shame! Surely, you knew better!)
5. Because of the hill/ditch construction around it, it can be assumed it was a ceremonial or place of ritual (not defensible–solely to differentiate)
6. It is one of many ancient stone circles, which track summer and winter solstice (others can be seen in Avebury and Castlerigg) and was probably most useful for neolithic farmer’s daily “to do” list.

He let us roam afterward; half an hour was plenty.  Some find Stonehenge to be deeply spiritual; I thought it interesting on the sociologicall/astrological/historical/architectural levels. As Britain’s most famous prehistoric monument, you have to come by at least once.

Bath

The girls and I agreed that we’d love to return to Bath for several days in the future—perhaps on an English countryside tour? (Why yes, that would be lovely. Thank you. When do we leave?) It aggravated our guide we didn’t have more time, because there is so much to see (and much, I think, for him to convey).

Set among the fantastic, green rolling hills of the Avon valley, this picturesque Georgian town with her honey-colored, tidy buildings of limestone that turn pink at sunset, was a delight. History is unveiled here—from the Romans (see Great Bath notes below) to Jane Austen (who often visited as a girl at No. 13 Queen Square) to Nicholas Cage (who has reportedly purchased one of the fine villas built 1705-1754 along the Circus, the square high above town.)

Our guide drove us through town and up the steep hill to the Circus, once called the King’s Circus. Incidentally, the Circus (meaning, from the Latin, “oval,” or “ring”) has the same dimensions as Stonehenge, and has a pathway that was meant for evening parades of the socialites it served, “to seen and be seen.” The explorer, David Livingstone, once lived here.

If you go, check out the different architecture on each level: Doric/Greek on the first level; Ionic for the second; Corinthian on the top. Point it out to your friends/family members; they’ll think you’re a genius. Be sure to mention this point…

King Bladud, or Blaiddyd, 8th century BC

The acorns have to do with a legend about an ancient prince of Briton, who went away to Athens for education and came home with leprosy. He founded a university, which was suppressed by Saint Augustine for heresies, was imprisoned, escaped and went into hiding. Working as a swineherd, he noticed that the pigs in cold weather wallowed in the warm, mineral rich muds of Caervaddon (later, “Bath”) and were cured of their skin conditions; when he did the same, so was he. He regained his position as heir apparent and became the king. Therefore, the acorn motifs (food for pigs) are on the building motifs in the Circus…

The Romans: 1st-5th century AD

There are seven hills around Rome—as well as Bath—and I suppose they felt at home in this special area of Britannia.

At the Romans Bath Museum we listened to a great audio guide by the travel writer, Bill Bryson, and there was another one specifically for kids! Very progressive. The water of The Great Bath is now murky and full of algae, but at one point, the entire complex was covered by a barrel-vaulted roof and the water, with 42 different minerals, was crystal clear (and a consistent 115 degrees).

You can tour through the rooms that show the still-flowing hot water entrance, steam rooms and frigidaria. There are Roman mosaics here and there, a bronze head of the goddess Minerva, but I was most amazed at the engineering incorporated in the complex.

The Medieval Monks

The Boys made hay for a while, charging pilgrims for sojourns that included dips in the sacred pools. Bath Abbey, which towers above the Great Bath and was begun in 1499, has lovely stained glass and fascinating tombs/memorial stones detailing men lost in battle or at sea. These days, the docents there have a worksheet that kids can do, to help engage them in their explorations inside.

The Georgian Period, 18th Century

In the Regency period, this town was like Las Vegas for Americans. They came, they drank, they gambled, they womanized, and presumably, slept it all off in the warm waters for which they reportedly came to “take the cure.” This was a town where the wealthy lounged upon sedan chairs carried by pole holders—and the pole holders were licensed as “sedan chair bearers.”

“The Min,” or the Mineral Water Hospital, used to accept patients for a flat 3 pounds—it covered entrance, care, and route home and/or burial. A screaming deal. If we back to this region, I want to spend the day at the local spa (how cool would it be to lounge in waters that once healed Romans and lepers?) and spend the night at one of two places I saw from the road that looked attractive, Villa Magdala or the Grove Lodge B&B.

We ate sandwiches from a shop around the corner and moved on to one of the most famous castles in the world, Windsor, the oldest continuously inhabited royal residence in Britain.

Windsor Castle

This castle, built atop a hill and with views that probably caught William the Conqueror’s attention for defensive vs. aesthetic purposes, is lovely. For William, it would’ve been a day’s journey from here to the Tower of London. But these days, the monarchs can be there in about an hour. The queen was in residence (as evidenced by the Royal Standard, flying high above), but shockingly, she didn’t invite us in for tea. Armed guards blocked key points and we were moved along with the commoners to the tourist route. (Did they not know that we were on the same tour as Jodi Picoult???) The castle offers a pretty dry audio guide, but covers the bases of what you’re seeing, of course, and our guide had prepped us well en route.

We enjoyed Queen Mary’s dolls’ house (it’s MASSIVE!) and her toys, as well as sumptuous drawing rooms. But our favorite part of the castle was really found outside–the gargoyle waterspouts, the royal crests cut into stone, the Upper Ward (a vast courtyard where one can envision jousting events and carriages circling for grand affairs), the changing of the guard, a manservant we stumbled upon with an incredible ring of old, over-sized keys, and the fairy tale garden outside the Round Tower, which appears to be in an old moat.

If churches are your thing, here’s a quick, strictly amateur-level video taken inside the St. George’s Chapel, built in 1475-1528, and where ten monarchs are buried (listen for a tour guide in the background!—love the British accent!):

Our guide drove us back to London in time for a late supper, and we sent him off with a nice tip. (He was saving for a houseboat and looking at a move to Amsterdam—we did what we could to fuel the dream!) All in all, it was a highly satisfying day, giving us a taste of places that we’d like to return to someday.

Have you been to Stonehenge, Bath or Windsor? Comment with your own favorites or insights below!

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