Another day, another day trip. On Friday, we hopped on another train, this time to Salisbury. We were off to see not only a cute, historic town, but also an ancient and mysterious monument, a layer cake of historical fortresses, and the tallest church spire in England.
First, we followed the allure of ancient mystery out to Stonehenge.
While some people laughed off our day trip because of the effort needed to see these stones, I remember marveling at them on my last trip and thought that Josh, a mechanical engineer, would share my appreciation of them. I was right. After all, the stones to make this monument were floated and/or carried 150 miles (240 km) from the Preselli Hills... in 2600 BC. Pretty incredible. But that was the second use of the site. First, a large pit was dug and used as a sit for burial. These bones were originally dug up, deemed unimportant, and reburied in a single hole. While most people gaze at the stones of Stonehenge, you can still see the dip of this giant pit, despite thousands of years of erosion and sediment deposits.
And then came the stones.
Two concentric rings of stones were created, using as many as 80 stones. Not all remain today. The stones that most people think of are actually from the third stage of Stonehenge construction (the second stone stage) and involved the import of sarsens. These enormous chunks of rock, roughly hewn, often jointed and grooved to help them fit together, stand today in a proud circle. While the ring used to have a complete circle of sarsens around the tops (these stones were even curved on the side to form a circle), today so many have fallen that Stonehenge resembles a math equation of ones and pi symbols. It is incredible that any of the standing posts fell, given that they are buried to a third of their height. It's also incredible that they got there in the first place, since they each weigh 25 tons (or 50,000 pounds). Oh, and they are perfectly placed so that the sun shines through a different opening each month.
While our visit was short - you can only see a circle of stones from so many vantage points and gather something new - it was lovely. We had taken the Stonehenge Tour bus there, so we got to cut the lines and enjoy a history lesson to and from the site. The bus also dropped us off at another historical site: Old Sarum.
Old Sarum is a hill that has been used by numerous invading forces - Normans, Romans, etc - over the years. Each time, they built a bit higher up on the hill, topping the glory of the previous owner. While little remains today, it's quite an interesting sight from both the side and - a bit trickier - from an aerial perspective (I recommend looking at a postcard). It always baffles me how so many cultures decide to descend and capitalize upon the same place, century after century.
Finally, we explored Salisbury. This quaint little town is very old (especially to two young Americans) and has become both a modern shopping destination and a glorification of antiquity. The cathedral and the Close (the surrounding neighborhood of very expensive, exclusive houses) date back centuries.
The cathedral was built because of a reaction against the rulers on Old Sarum; they moved down to this available patch of land and built a gorgeous cathedral in a mere 38 years (compared to the hundreds of years typical of the day).
A view down half of the cathedral, with the cross-shaped baptismal fountain (not a font) flows water into grates on the floor.
The tower, which has become a symbol of the cathedral's magnificence, was added later. It has shaped the cathedral's future - literally and figuratively - ever niceness. The weight of the tower has bent the main stone pillars of the cathedral outward (seeing a bent, giant stone pillar seems somehow impossible, yet there it is) and necessitated emergency interventions ever since: additional pillars, diagonal supports hidden in the first balcony, and other clever tricks have finally stabilized the structure. The tower is also one of the reasons why Salisbury was not bombed during WWII; the pilots would use it as a reference point, orienting themselves for their missions. And today, it still wows as it soars above an otherwise rather quaint (beside the commercial streets) English town. If you have time, also check out the ancient clock and the array of flags that were retired from battle as they became threadbare. Oh -- and make sure to pick up some pastries from Reeve's (Reeve The Baker). It's just the thing to revive you after all that walking.
Spotted: Just the foundation of modern democracy. Salisbury Cathedral boasts one of the four copies of the Magna Carta (1215) that have survived to the modern day. It is also the copy in the best condition and is quite legible... If you speak Latin well enough to recognize abbreviated words. Each copy was printed on a single sheet of vellum, meaning that the words had to be shortened to fit. There are little lines over the words where vowels were skipped. Another fun fact? Jay Z revealed the art for his album, Magna Carta... The Holy Grail? in that room. And the cathedral loved it.
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