A signboard near to the Heel Stone informs that we were standing near to the original entrance to the henge.
You are standing close to the original entrance to Stonehenge, looking at the most impressive and best-preserved part of the outer stone circle.
This north-east side has the most regular sarsen stones, which were carefully shaped and smoothed. This would have made a spectacular impression on those approaching along the Avenue, the processional route to the monument built in about 2300 BC.
This area, where the Avenue meets the earthwork enclosure, was the focus of intense prehistoric activity, with various wooden posts and stones being erected, moved and removed over time. These restricted the movement of people into Stonehenge and may have been markers for astronomical events.
The huge unworked sarsen standing nearby is the Heel Stone. It weighs about 40 tons. The fallen stone in front of you is the Slaughter Stone, on of two or three upright stones that once stood in a line across the entrance causeway. These replaced lines of small wooden stakes.
Slaughter Stone sounds a bit daunting.
It got that name due to a misunderstanding that has now been corrected. The stone was originally upright and had nothing to do with slaughter:
http://www.stonesofstonehenge.org.uk/2015/02/slaughter-stone-stone-95.html
The name comes from the (incorrect) belief that it was the stone where sacrifices were carried out and that the red colour of the water that collects in the hollows in its upper surface was due to the blood of the victims seeping out.
In fact it is the iron in the stone together with algae that grow on its surface that cause the red colouration of the rainwater. The Slaughter Stone originally stood upright with its northeastern end planted in the ground.
Looks fantastic.
On my first visit it took my breath away. As the years have gone by I have found it even more fascinating
Lovely to see your photos of Stone Henge – I haven’t been since I was a child. Would like to revisit though especially since they build the new Visitor Centre. I must admit I was a little disappointed by it at the time but if I saw it again I might feel differently as I do like Avebury and the Rollright Stones.
I used to prefer Avebury too, but now the access to Stonehenge has changed I enjoyed my visits more. In fact I find the stones and the landscape fascinating!
Lovely posts on Stonehenge . I haven’t been since I was a child as well, I remember going up to the stones then. It is such an awesome place.
When I visited as a child I walked among the stones and looked up and was amazed at the size of them.
Thinking not only of Newgrange, Skara Brae and Stonehenge now and some decades ago, I wonder when the ‘Masters of Heritage’ will start to build cheese domes over any site, so that no eye would ever get the tiniest of all glimpses without admission ticket.
Would certainly have its own charm nothing to see when passing Buckingham Palace, Convy Castle and the brazillions of heritage sites.
By doing so they would – Fuck the EU – certainly create millions of jobs.
Good night and good luck.
The irony is that if it wasn’t for the paying visitors the stones would have been vandalised and destroyed over the years. I can recall the hippy years of the 70s and people clambering over the stones and toppling some of them over.
A more recent trend for historical sites is that people like to chip a bit off so the can keep a bit of ‘that special site’ for themselves. There are only so many bits that can be chipped off…
You may find it interesting that the change of access and removal of the busy road next to ‘The Stonehenge’ has meant that the stones are much more accessible for viewing for non-paying visitors. In fact there were many non-paying visitors just a few feet away from me
All you say is right, CherryPie. That’s why I find cheese domes so thrilling. Just try to imagine, for a moment. …
Almost everything would be so easy, were there not all those idiots [and not only idiots in the classical sense].
Life would be very easy if we weren’t surrounded by idiots
very interesting information especially about the slaughter stone. and a pity about the chippings. i remember it is a similar case at the Colosseo of Rome.
The site is fascinating