Stonehenge
Stonehenge, a World Heritage Site, is a popular tourist destination, but well worth it. It's a marvel of Neolithic construction techniques. How did they get the blue stones from Wales, over 200km away, and how did they heave those immense heavy capstones on top of the upright stones? Other mysteries abound - was the site used for astronomy, rituals of the sun and moon, healing rites to cure disease, or rites of human sacrifice on the Slaughter Stone?
Stonehenge -
At Stonehenge, before going out to the stones, stop into the visitor center. You walk on the grassy circular ditch around the stones, but you can't get near them. This makes the stones seem even more mysterious, remote, inscrutable, defying graffiti and the touch of modern civilization. Even so, when we were there, a toddler ran out into the grassy area next to the stones, his parents had a hard time convincing him to get back on the path (another greasy handprint on those old stones).
Be sure to reserve timed tickets for entry in advance: book tickets
Tip: Stonhenge is situated on large grassy Salisbury Plain, surrounded by public access land. In the long days of summer, bring a picnic supper, and dine on the grass.
Avebury - Stonehenge is more famous, but Avebury is a much larger stone circle. The Neolithic stones in Avebury are sprinkled throughout the village, and kids can touch and climb on them. We had a great time running around the stones, spread over a large area, and having tea in the little village. There's also small museum with artifacts and archeology.
Also, stop off to take a look at Silbury Hill, the largest prehistoric man-made mound in Europe. Imagine piling up all that dirt with simple tools!
Wayland's Smithy (Ashbury, Oxfordshire) - Walk a short distance down The Ridgeway National Trail to find this Neolithic burial chamber, constructed over 5000 years ago. The long barrow is edged with huge, mystical-looking sarsen stones, and it's fun to hide in the small chambers.
