England: Stonehenge, Old Sarum & Salisbury Cathedral!

Just a pile of rocks? Don't throw shade towards any English pre-historic monument that has stood strong since 2000 BC! Stonehenge wasn't my only destination during that full-packed Wiltshire pursuit, I made sure I didn't leave any stone unturned! From the peaks of Old Sarum to then checking out the almost 800 year old Magna Carta, I made the best of my nonstop day!

Hello Stonehenge! My journey was something else, upon arriving at the site of Stonehenge everything had been worth it! This pre-historic site of mystery is a sight that has to be seen! Dating back to 2000 BC, Stonehenge has a lot of answers as to what purpose it was actually built for? Word on the street is that the word 'Henge' means 'Pen' due to its closed formation, picturing the original structure does make sense, I guess see is believing? I found out from the Stonehenge Tour Bus commentary that Stonehenge has been a site of importance for Neopaganism, so since forever! Taking the Stonehenge Tour Bus was the only cost effective only option because I don't drive. Neither, I didn't fancy the two mile walk along a busy A Road from the bus stop. I went with the flow, all went well without any hitches. I'm glad I wasn't a part of any of the coach trips because the hoards of tourists didn't impress me! Stonehenge is a true English sight, the tourists were not considerate! Yes, Stonehenge looked much better in real life!

I'm wasn't a tourist, England is my country so I kept that in mind whilst I marvelled at the magnificent Stonehenge. I made my way round the majestic stone structure whilst I tried my best to take as many undisturbed photos of the world famous English Heritage site. I won't go into the details but I wasn't best pleased with the coach-loads of tourists, I usually have the opportunity to wake at dawns break to catch a still snap but I think I done did good on this photography front! Taking a deep breath I carried on with my Stonehenge experience to be truly delighted I had chosen to visit this pre-historic wonder of English history. I make no bones, I'm pleased that I made the effort to seek an adventure to visit Stonehenge because it was a once in a lifetime. Yes! I guess being from England doesn't really give us the hunger to seek some of our most precious gems? I'll let the Americans answer! My time spent in Salisbury and its surroundings made me feel proud to be English! Serving it on up for those coins, Stonehenge!

Old Sarum definitely restored some countryside quiet back into my life! Old Sarum was on my list! Moving forwards to the next stop on my Salisbury adventure I wanted to seek something in England that I could be proud of. Steeped in over 5,000 years of history I took my time getting to know the original settlement of Salisbury. Old Sarum had its fair share of drama, conflict and eviction orders so I think that this piece of history would fit into our modern world and its shenanigans! Old Sarum, I loved your style! I don't go by the tourist guides but being a passenger on the Stonehenge Bus Tour I embraced the pattern of the bus services, I made sure I got the most of my time at Old Sarum! I wanted to just simply view Old Sarum and its stunning vista from the higher points, even the cloudy sky gave a sense of purpose! Old Sarum had been very international in its day due to the Romans, Normans and Saxons all calling Sarum their overseas home for a period of time! Yes, S! Britain has always been an international place, sure! 

I never paid attention in history class at school but that was a good thing for my time spent at Old Sarum showed me quite a lot of quirky facts that the previous residents had their own gossip corner! How did I get to Salisbury from Birmingham? I took the Megabus to Bristol then the train to Salisbury, then back to Bristol where I caught the 20:00 National Express coach back to Birmingham. I saved money by not staying the night. It's the age old problem that rail travel in England is just too expensive so what else was I going to do? I really liked Old Sarum for it distracted me from the pace of my day for I just spent a bit of time admiring the vistas from the look out points, another reason to say that I was proud to find something worth celebrating in England! It was madness to think that it was only a two mile drive away from Salisbury, the medieval foundations may have shifted but Salisbury has a regal edge! From the top it was a 'Priscilla Queen of The Desert' moment! Watching the time, I headed for the Magna Carta. Go!

Another city, another cathedral! I kid you not Salisbury Cathedral served up many rich offerings that impressed me much! The Stonehenge Tour Bus has a running commentary that provided me with a a rich wealth of knowledge about the cathedral and the Magna Carta. After deciding on seeing Stonehenge and Old Sarum before visiting the cathedral, I did that because the train station was easier to reach at the end of that pattern. The Magna Carta presented itself at the cathedral as one the first decree's of law that was written in 1215. Making this statement of democracy 799 years old. Definitely a cause for celebration! It'll be 800 years old in 2015! It's only right to take a look at the Magna Carta with respect as its been around for a long old time! The Magna Carta was written in very small print in Latin, being unreadable on two counts but out of the four remaining copies its believed that the best one in Salisbury! Schooled about the ancient forms of democracy had me thinking. In England we are blessed to have such rights. 

I'm not a religious soul, but even still my day in Salisbury suited me just nicely! Undoubtedly, Stonehenge exuded certain pagan references, I saw fit to embrace that factor. The Cathedral served a decree of law that has been a part of our world and previous societies, the Magna Carta isn't just the title from a Jay-Z album its an almost 800 year old parchment of law. Most definitely, Old Sarum took me back to the days of Roman, Saxon and Norman civilisation in England the original foundations of Salisbury. I took my final steps through the main winding streets of Salisbury's quaint city centre to find a favourable amount of original architectural wonder still remaining. The journey wasn't easy due to it taking a long time, but I really enjoyed my day in Wiltshire. The entire day was a once-in-a-lifetime day that I won't be bitter not to repeat as the world still turns! I got back to Bristol, passing through Bath on the train, that was a flashback! In my feelings, departing Bristol I made it back to Birmingham for the final time! 

Stonehenge, Serve It On Up!

Joseph Harrison