Stonehenge...worth the time??

I loved it and am glad I went. To me there is nothing else like it. I've seen other standing stone circles and they all have their charms, but Stonehenge is my favorite. Would it be better without the fence? Of course. But I still loved seeing it in person.

As you will no doubt learn, lots of people feel differently.

It's worth it if you are in the area. It's one of those places everyone has seen photos of so it's worth it in the sense that you'll get to see it for yourself and tell everyone else; "yep, I saw it".

But it's smaller than you imagine. The setting is more mundane than you imagine. It's very doubtful you will get the chills.

But as long as you aren't going way out of your way, go ahead and see it. You'll probably regret it if you don't and blame me :-)

It was well worth it to me. I did "get the chills". Hubby got some great pics too. The stone cirlce on Orkney is even better! But Stonehenge has a special feel to it.

Margaret,

Whether Stonehenge is "worth the time" is a matter of opinion, however I feel that it's a worthwhile and interesting place to visit.

There is a fence along the highway, however visitors who purchase a ticket can get reasonably close to Stonehenge. The entrance to the site runs alongside the Visitor shop (to the left as I recall) and to the site via a tunnel.

The stones have a small wire barrier around them and visitors must stay outside this. However, it's still possible to walk completely around and get a good view from many angles.

Those who don't buy a ticket can only view the site from outside the fence that runs along the highway. Those who buy a ticket can also rent an Audioguide which explains the history of the site.

Happy travels!

OK I will be a dissenter here - of all the places and sites we have seen this is at the top of the most underwhelming and sorry we bothered list.

Between 2 motorways, no atmosphere, you couldn't get close and so on.And we didn't make a special trip to go there. However, this is a subject which crops up regularly in travel forums and there are clearly many who love it.

I thought it was absolutely fantastic. To me it is a don"t miss site if you are in England! Someone stated that it is smaller than you would imagine???? I thought it was huge.

This reply is to Margaret and other persons who did not go to Stonehenge. Hello Margaret. My thought on this topic is : if a person feels satisfied from being at that place, the reason the person feels satisfied is likely to be because the person desired to go to that place. The person's desire to go to that place was a goal. The person goes to that place, and the person feels satisfied because of accomplishing a goal. I do not put a high priority on visiting Stonehenge. Visiting stonehenge is important to some people, such as a History teacher or archaeology teacher or cultural anthropology teacher who does lectures on Stonehenge. England has many good places to visit.

We thought it was worth it. Perhaps it is, as some suggest, just a pile of rocks. But as piles go, it is perhaps one of the most famous in the world. We did not find the fencing to be off-putting, as I had expected. We never felt like we were too far away. With the audio tour you can take as little or as much time as you want wandering around the site. We had a car, which made it very easy to visit. Tours can book private groups early or late in the day that allow you within the cordoned area as I recall.

Stonehenge is a place you have to see, regret it later or not. I was there way before the fence (push the sheep out of the way and watch your step, please), took kids there twenty-some years ago after the fence came along, took a buddy there last year. That's three underwhelms. Driven by it a bunch of times and don't slow down.

Go there. Look at it. Go in or not as it suits your fancy. Now the really good stuff:

Go back east a couple of miles to the first road that goes north. After one mile, pull over on the left and see Woodhenge which nobody seems to know about. It's free.

Hop back in the car and continue north a tad less than twenty miles to West Kennett. Leave heading east on the A4. Watch for West Kennet Long Barrow sign on the left within a few hundred yards. The barrow is hard to see but it's maybe a hundred yards off the road with a path leading to it. Go see that too; it's also free.

Hop back in the car and go another half mile. On the right is Silbury Hill. You can't miss it since its the largest man-made hill in europe. Wander around; it's free too.

Press on another half mile and hang a right. Avebury is one mile ahead.

Avebury is probably ten times the size of Stonehenge with at least a hundred stones (but no lintels). A previous poster made it sound like a carnival with shops and bars in the middle of the circle -- an opinion that could only be arrived at by examing an aerial photograph. What has happened is that trails have become roads in the last zillion years. Two roads intersect in the middle of the circle, dividing the henge into quadrants. From the intersection only a few stones are visible. From the periphy of the henge, the backs of the building are visible at maybe a quarter of a mile. Walk around it, push the sheep out of the way and watching where you step. It's free also.

When you're done have a beer at the Red Lion. It's not free.

In 25 miles you've recouped the cost of the Stonehenge entry fee.

I was really glad I went. Fences? Yes. Tourists? Yes. It was still an iconic place to visit and not too bad first thing on a May morning - although I'm not sure I would want to try it in August after the busses show up.

I went back when there were no fences, and you could walk right up and sit on the fallen stones. It was one of the premiere, transformative days of my entire life. I kid you not - that place is AWESOME, and I mean "awe."

I wouldn't go now. Too many barriers in the way. For a menhir/standing stone/magic experience, I would try a place where you're still allowed to be there up close and personal.

That being said, I understand why it had to be fenced off. So sad, really, that folks can't be trusted to not write "Fred was here!" on the stones, and chip off pieces for souvenirs. If you think you can get past all the trumped up flummery and tourist trash surrounding it, and can just soak in the wonder of the stones, I'd recommend it. But go in knowing that you can't get close.

I have been on one of the private early-morning tours that Denny mentioned. It. was. AWESOME. I probably still would have gone, even if I hadn't had that kind of access, because to me, it would have been like going to Paris and not seeing the Eiffel Tower. But that's me. Margaret, I have no idea how much a tour like the kind we're talking about would cost, or even how to go about finding one, but if you can get on one, I'd say GO. Otherwise, I guess it just comes down to how interested you are, and if you feel in your heart whether you would be (or WOULDN'T) disappointed.

I think it depends on your expectations. When I went in 07, we got there right when it closed so we walked around outside and took pictures through the chain link fence. I was happy that I can check it off my list of places to visit. It's just so mythical to me so just to say I've been there made that quick stop worth it. By the way, we were there because we were driving from Heathrow to our hotel in Bath so a quick stop was worth it.

I was disappointed that on site I didn't see any reference to the ley lines when I visited in 2007.

The one thing that really stands out in my memory is coming over the hill driving to Stonehenge and seeing the valley down below and the henge off in the distance on the left, that was awesome.

I knew the henge would be smaller than my imagination of it and it was busy but I still was able to get good pictures without people in it and it was amazing to be there. Whenever I see the henge on TV or in print I relive my visit all over again.

Ed thanks for the side trip ideas for other sites to visit, I hope to return in May 2010 and may try this if I can get up the nerve to rent a car and drive.

Enjoy your trip Margaret. Pam

Its just a pile of rocks - was definitely not worth it to me. But like any place on the earth only you can make the call.