It is made of limestone, and takes the form of a monolithic beige block, over 2m in height. It sits on some kind of trolley arrangement, and so is presumably portable. There is writing on the stone, starting with block capitals:
A BETTER PLAN.
A BETTER FUTURE.
Below this are six statements which are aspirational and vacuous at the same time. And below that a squiggly signature and a logo.
For the Labour Party.
For Ed Miliband.
It is election fever.
I am describing Miliband’s megalith, or is has become known in the press, ‘Miliband’s manifesto monolith’, and more widely still, as #EdStone in social media. It is a remarkable standing stone version of the successful ‘pledge card’ that characterised the rise to power of New Labour and Tony Blair in 1997. It was unveiled by Ed Miliband itself, with a group of over-enthusiastic flag-wavers, on Sunday 3rd May…
New ‘Stonehengiana’ exhibition created by archeologist Julian Richards displays souvenirs and other ephemera charting history of site as tourist attraction since the 19th century. It has been a place of pilgrimage for many centuries and a tourist attraction probably since Roman times. Wish You Were Here! takes a look back at how the ‘henge was viewed by previous generations and it provides a glimpse at the iconic role it has played in popular culture.
A new Stonehenge exhibition, Wish You Were Here, reveals the site’s history as a tourist attraction since Victorian times. Photograph: English Heritage/PA
From 1st May 2015 explore the ‘Wish You Were Here’ special exhibition in the Stonehenge visitor centre. Celebrating both the changing ways in which Stonehenge has been experienced by its many visitors, and its status as a world-wide icon, through historical souvenirs, guidebooks, postcards and photographs.
The exhibition features items from the personal collection of Julian Richards and objects on loan from the Wiltshire Museum and The Salisbury Museum.
This is the latest in a regularly changing programme of special exhibitions at the Stonehenge visitor centre. Entry to the exhibition is included in the price of your ticket. Explore previous exhibitions held at Stonehenge.
Wish You Were Here opens on 1st May and runs until March 2016. Admission is included in the Stonehenge entry price. Visitors are invited to share their experiences on social media with the hashtag #stonehengewishyouwerehere.
The tallest stone at Stonehenge points towards the sunrise on the midwinter solstice, according to a new theory from an English Heritage steward.
The newly observed alignment (red line) is at 80 degrees to the line of the axis of the monument (blue line)
Historians have long known the circle of stones is aligned with the midsummer sunrise but Tim Daw says the tallest one is lined up with the midwinter sun.
It was previously thought the stone had been put back at the wrong angle when it was re-erected in 1901.
But Mr Daw, who works there, says his research shows its angle is deliberate.
‘Botched job’
Mr Daw said: “The largest stone at Stonehenge is not where it ‘should’ be, it is twisted.
“This stone, Stone 56, is the tallest one at the end of the inner horseshoe of sarsen stones.
“Because it was put back to the vertical in 1901 it has been assumed that the twist is the result of the modern excavators botching the job.
The tallest stone in the monument was straightened in 1901
“My research shows that not only was the standing stone out of symmetry with the central solstice alignment originally, but that its now fallen partner had also been, and so were surrounding stones, including the Altar Stone.”
“The stones point to the midwinter solstice sunrise and midsummer sunset,” he said.
“This alignment had been missed by previous investigators… as they used an idealised plan rather than an actual plan for their calculations.”
“This isn’t some nebulous sighting line on a distant star; this is 100 tonnes of stone deliberately pointing to the major event at the other end of the day the rest of the monument celebrates.
“One stone out of line might be a coincidence but that it is five of the major stones, at least, shows it was a designed feature.
“It shows what can be discovered by simple observation even in such a well-researched site as Stonehenge.”
Tim Daw said the tallest stone (centre) was positioned to align with the midwinter sunrise
Director of the Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society (WANHS), David Dawson, said: “This is an interesting new idea which highlights the “skew” of the Stonehenge trilithons, which has been known for some time.
“It highlights the significance of the summer and winter solstices at Stonehenge, and the 80 degree angle between them.
“We know that the Bush Barrow lozenge, on display at the Wiltshire Museum, hints at this same significant astronomical feature.
“There will now be a debate between archaeologists and a re-examination of the evidence to test this new hypothesis.”
Jessica Trethowan from English Heritage said it was “an interesting idea”.
Mr Daw’s theory has been published in the latest WANHS magazine.
People traditionally gather at Stonehenge for the winter and summer solstices
World Heritage is the shared wealth of humankind. Protecting and preserving this valuable asset demands the collective efforts of the international community. This special day offers an opportunity to raise the public’s awareness about the diversity of cultural heritage and the efforts that are required to protect and conserve it, as well as draw attention to its vulnerability.
On 18th April 1982 on the occasion of a symposium organised by ICOMOS in Tunisia, the holding of the “International Day for Monuments and Sites” to be celebrated simultaneously throughout the world was suggested. This project was approved by the Executive Committee who provided practical suggestions to the National Committees on how to organise this day.
The idea was also approved by the UNESCO General Conference who passed a resolution at its 22nd session in November 1983 recommending that Member States examine the possibility of declaring 18th April each year “International Monuments and Sites Day”. This has been traditionally called the World Heritage Day.
Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites
Stonehenge and Avebury, in Wiltshire, are among the most famous groups of megaliths in the world. The two sanctuaries consist of circles of menhirs arranged in a pattern whose astronomical significance is still being explored. These holy places and the nearby Neolithic sites are an incomparable testimony to prehistoric times.
Stonehenge and Avebury form part of one of the UK’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The explanations behind why the sites are located where they are and what their exact purposes are still remain a mystery to this day.
Stonehenge
Managed by English Heritage dates back approximately 5,000 years. Evolving between 3,000 and 1,600 BC, Stonehenge is aligned with the rising and setting of the sun at the solstices. The summer solstice in June often attracts up to 20,000 visitors to view the sunrise. When visiting Stonehenge pick up one of their audio guides (available in different languages) giving details of the history and legends behind the site. For a more intimate experience there’s an inner circle tour which takes place before and after the site is open to the general public (pre-booking is essential) or view tour companies who offer general and inner circle visits to the stones.
Around the Stonehenge landscape there are other sites of notable importance including Durrington Walls, the largest henge monument in Britain and Woodhenge, a Neolithic monument dating from around 2,300 BC.
Avebury
The largest stone circle in the World, Avebury was erected around 4,500 years ago and consists of around 100 stones. Many of the stones were re-erected by Alexander Keiller in the 1930s.
The Alexander Keiller Museum in the village holds many of the archaeological finds that Keiller discovered during the excavations of Avebury during this time and the history of the excavations. Today Avebury is managed by the National Trust.
The site is open daily (due to its village location) and visitors can not only explore the stone circle but also the Avenue, the West Kennett Long Barrow and can look over at Silbury Hill – the largest man-made hill in Europe. Similarly to Stonehenge, Avebury is also plays host to both Winter and Summer Solstices.
In 2012, Avebury Manor opened its doors following the BBC TV programme ‘The Manor Reborn’ which also saw the kitchen garden transformed into a working Victorian kitchen garden.
See objects excavated from the World Heritage Site at Salisbury Museum and the new prehistory displays at Wiltshire Museum in Devizes. Salisbury Museum has recently reopened its Wessex Gallery. The Wiltshire Museum in Devizes has new displays featuring gold from the Time of Stonehenge, including Britain’s richest Bronze Age burial. Visit Wiltshire Website
“Celebrate it with a visit to Stonehenge or Avebury and observe a minute of silence for the ones we have lost to insensitive developments”
Discover the hidden history and ancient mysteries that lie within the World Heritage Site on a National Trust event this year.
Walk with an archaeologist: the Stonehenge landscape
Join Neolithic expert and National Trust archaeologist Dr. Nick Snashall on this half day exploration of the Stonehenge landscape and find out about the latest exciting discoveries. We’ll be walking around four miles.
Ever wondered where the builders of Stonehenge lived? Join our landscape guides to explore the secrets of Durrington Walls – once home to the builders of Stonehenge – and discover 6,000 years of hidden history (2.5 – 3 mile walk).
Walk in the slipstream of the early pioneer military aviators at Larkhill. See where the Bristol Boxkite made its first flight in 1910 and where the first British military aeroplane unit was formed..
Discover Durrington Walls
Ever wondered where the builders of Stonehenge lived? Join our landscape guides to explore the secrets of Durrington Walls – once home to the builders of Stonehenge – and discover 6,000 years of..
All five of the so called land trains that convey sightseers from the Stonehenge Visitor Centre to the monument itself were withdrawn last week just days before thousands of people were expected to visit the monument over the Easter break. Each train carries about 45 people and is pulled along by a single Land Rover. There have been concerns expressed in the past that there was not enough turning room at the Visitor Centre for the land trains to easily manoeuvre in and also that they would be unable to cope with thousands of sightseers during peak periods. Sightseers are now being transported to the monument by a fleet of buses.
According to Historic England (formerly English Heritage), “They [the land trains] have all gone for the moment. They went about a week ago. We do not know when…
Stone circles in the Gobi Desert. The largest circle in this image is known as the Sun Circle
Sarah Griffiths, for the MailOnline, reports on the stone structures discovered in China’s Gobi Desert in 2003 –
Known as the ‘strange stone circles’ by locals in Turpan, the formations vary in size and shape with one intricate example resembling the sun. The circles are located in the Flaming Mountain in Turpan, north west China and cover more than two-and-a-half square miles (6.6 square km).
Dr Volker Heyd, an archaeologist at the University of Bristol, believes …the first of these Gobi stone structures might date back as early as the Bronze Age. This could make them up to 4,500 years old. Although the more complex formations are likely ‘younger and could have been constructed until the Medieval period.’
The first day of spring has been marked by more than 800 revellers who gathered at Stonehenge to watch the sunrise.
Despite a cloudy forecast, @St0nehenge tweeted the gathering had been “blessed with a perfect sunrise”
Druids and pagans were joined by a mass of revellers at the ancient monument to celebrate the spring or vernal equinox.
Open access to the stones was given from first light, 05:45 GMT, by English Heritage which manages the site.
Senior druid King Arthur Pendragon, who performed the sunrise ceremony, said: “We’re lucky, we used to get 200 people but now it’s up to nearly 1,000.”
Despite a cloudy forecast, @St0nehenge tweeted that the gathering had been “blessed with a perfect sunrise”.
“A lot of people are coming out to sacred places to celebrate the turning of the wheel, which is what paganism is about,” said Mr Pendragon.
“We don’t worship nature, we worship the divine through nature and so we worship at the times of the year when it’s auspicious – spring, summer, autumn and winter.”
English Heritage opens the ancient stone circle for the spring equinox as well as the winter and summer solstice
Full article (source) and more images at the BBC website: (Nice to see the BBC’s reference to our twitter account)
We aim to make this the ultimate source of the latest Stonehenge news available on the web. This blog is updated almost daily and promises to deliver accurate 'up to date' information on new theories, new digs, solstice events, Druid gatherings, the new visitor centre, general megalithic links and some fun along the way. We welcome your input....
"There is so much misinformation about Stonehenge on the web, so it’s really refreshing to see such a clear and lucid presentation, what you have here looks like best general overview of Stonehenge to date, well done!"
Mystery surrounds this 5,000 year old monument in the centre of the World Heritage Site. Visit this prehistoric South West site near Salisbury in Wiltshire, and decide for yourself whether Stonehenge was a place of sun worship, a healing sanctuary, a sacred burial site, or something different altogether!
THIS BLOG claims no credit for any images posted on this site unless otherwise noted. Images on this blog are copyright to its respectful owners. If there is an image appearing on this blog that belongs to you and do not wish for it appear on this site, please E-mail with a link to said image and it will be promptly removed.
StonehengeNews
travelstonehenge
Stonehenge Stone Circle News and Information 