Such a great experience. The tour is well laid out and you go at your own pace. This place is rich…read morein history, very fascinating what artifacts they were able to recover. Bought tickets day of the visit and it was straightforward and simple. Highly recommend this tour!

We came here as part of a tour and are glad we did. I didn't know much about the Roman Baths…read morebeforehand, but now I do. It is set in the middle of a quaint town named Bath. We had pre-bought tickets for a specific entry time, but there were tickets available at the door as well. I wouldn't chance it though. The line was short to get in at our time and the audio guide is included as part of the admission price. made the tour interesting and the facts provided were the perfect amount of detail. There was a kid's version too which was great! We were there a little over an hour and at the end you can taste some of the bath water, which was disgusting!!

Anyone walking from the Cathedral into Salisbury City Centre will most probably walk through this…read moregate. One of four which used to pierce the wall surrounding the cathedral, the High Street (or North Gate) is one of the most attractive. It was built between 1327 and 1342, when Edward III gave permission for stone from the old site of the City at Old Sarum to be used to erect a wall around the Cathedral precinct. It used to have a portcullis, lowered when the citizens became rebellious, and it is still closed every evening at 23h, and reopened at 6h. It once housed the small lock-up jail for those convicted of misdeeds within the Close. Beside the gate stands the Porters Lodge. The post of Porter to the Close was much sought-after by the servants of kings and nobles in the middle ages. On the Cathedral side, it is decorated with a single statue of a Knight in early 14th Century armour, whereas the City side is decorated with the Royal Coat of Arms, surrounded by decorative carving. It is framed by attractive buildings on both sides, reflecting the changing architectural styles from mediaeval times to the Victorian period. On the far (south) side of the Cathedral close is the smaller Harnham Gate - as this was less important, its architecture did not need to impress the townspeople! This gate is also closed overnight. Entering from this gate, you can see some of the classic views of Salisbury Cathedral.

Part of Salisbury's heritage quarter, its a gorgeous example of medieval architecture at a more…read moredomestic scale than the neighboring cathedral. Lots of quaint shops nearby. Check out the river walk nearby.

I visited this restored 18th (and, to some extent, 19th) century mansion because it's right next to…read morethe wonderful Salisbury Cathedral, it offers a real - i.e. not inflated, museum-style - glimpse into the life of the upper, or upper-middle class of the time(s) - and because it was raining cats and dogs in Salisbury. on that day. I knew that it was used for the 1995 Jane Austen film adaptation of "Sense and Sensibility" with Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet, but that was of very minor concern of my rosy nose (I read Jane Austen as part of my English literature studies - 10 pages, then I decided that life is too short). Mompesson House is run by National Trust, and the staff are volunteers who sacrifice their time to provide visitors with information on the house and the families that lived there (and the collections they accumulated - like the porcelain figurines and the drinking glasses). Amazingly, photography *is* allowed at this place - not a given at a National Trust property. What I liked about Mompesson House in particular is that it did feel like a real place, not a museum - i.e. It wasn't overstuffed. The lady at the entrance was very friendly. She noticed I wasn't an English native speaker and gave me printed notes to the house in decent German (actually, I would have preferred English, but the gesture was nice anyway). There are about 10 rooms that you can visit, plus the garden and a tea house/café. So expect to spend about 45-.60 minutes at this place, depending on just how much you treasure Jane Austen. So, for me it was 45 minutes. There is a small exhibition on the first floor which deals with the 1995 film "Sense and Sensibility" and includes some memorabilia, like e.g. a costume Kate Winslet wore in the film. The current entrance fee for an adult is UKP 6.50, which I think is quite okay, if not really a bargain. Please see my photos to get an impression of Mompesson House.

Bradford on Avon has a wel-preserved Anglo-Saxon (i.e., pre-Norman /pre-1066 English) Church of St…read more Laurence, also referred to as the Saxon Church. It was supposedly founded in the early 8th century and the surviving building is over 1000 years old. It has preserved a typical Anglo-Saxon style and decor and is both charming and interesting.

Bradford-on-Avon is a lovely historic town close to Bath, with a handsome mediaeval bridge, an…read moreimpressive 14th Century tithe barn and a lovely parish church of Norman foundation. But the most famous building in Bradford-on-Avon is undoubtedly the diminutive church of St Lawrence which, by an accident of history, is Britain's most perfectly preserved Saxon church. A church was founded on the site in AD 705 by St Aldhelm, although most archaeologists agree that the present building dates from the reign of King Aethelred II (978-1016). A charter granted Bradford to the nuns of Shaftesbury in 1001, and the church may date from this grant. It has been suggested that the richness of this small church implies that it was intended partly to house the relics of Aethelred's brother, Edward The Martyr. Its subsequent history is rather obscure, but appears quite early on to have been converted into secular use, with other buildings growing up around it, and extra floors inserted into its nave and chancel. These were removed when it was rediscovered and restored in 1856, although the walls still show evidence of them. There are no remaining additions from later periods, so the building we now see is purely Saxon. The church is tiny the nave is just 25ft long and the chancel is 13ft long, although it feels larger as it considerably taller than it is wide. A north porticus is still intact, but the south has been lost, although it is clear from the exterior where it stood. The robust Victorian buttresses on the south side were erected when the school-master's house, which had bee built on this side against the church, was demolished. Decoration is restrained: the exterior has Romanesque blind arcading, and the interior has simple mouldings around the narrow door arches, but the most interesting carvings are those of two bearded flying angels on the east wall of the nave. There are only a few, small windows, giving a dusky light. Although the interior is bare of furnishings, it is nevertheless an ancient and atmospheric space.

One of Baths iconic historical buildings and a must see when one visits Bath. The Royal Crescent,…read moreone of Bath's most iconic landmarks, was built between 1767 and 1775 and designed by John Wood the Younger. This impressive landmark is arranged around a perfect lawn overlooking Royal Victoria Park and forms a sweeping crescent of 30 Grade I Listed terrace houses. It is without doubt one of the greatest examples of Georgian architecture anywhere in the UK.

If you're coming to Bath for the first time, walking through The Circus en route to the Royal…read moreCrescent is a must. Even if architecture isn't necessarily your thing - it's a spectacular and impressive sight, and an iconic landmark here in the city. Also walking is good for you, so grab a coffee and meander through the city (maybe pack a picnic, a good book, and a blanket to enjoy in the expansive parkland opposite the houses after you've take a few photos). So what is it? Thirty identical terraced townhouses of Bath stone in a perfect crescent shape created by John Wood, The Younger in the mid-ish 1700's. And yes, you'll probably see the ha-ha - it's a low stone structure that separates/partitions the upper and lower lawns (allowing for an uninterrupted, sweeping view of Royal Victoria Park, and - once upon a time - it stopped the livestock from wandering up to the building itself). There's several different incredible views of The Crescent throughout the city - walking up to it initially from Brock St, for example, is pretty breathtaking the first time; looking up at The Crescent through the trees, past the green space along Royal Ave; and, from Alexandra Park (which gives you views of all the staple Bath spots).

I almost feel educated!‍ We enjoyed this pre Stonehenge!…read more Keeps getting ! Keeps getting stranger!

Avebury Stone Circle is one of the world's greatest prehistoric monuments: older than Stonehenge,…read moreit is the largest megalithic stone circle (henge) anywhere, and part of what was once an enormous megalithic complex stretching for miles. To me, it's more impressive and more spiritual a place than Stonehenge, despite the fact there's a road and village within its structure. History As ever with such sites, our knowledge is limited, but like Stonhenge, it is likely to have been built in phases. The best guess is that construction began around 2600BC with the inner circles, with the great ditch and outer circle completed around 2500BC, making it contemporaneous with the Pyramids at Giza. When completed, these circles included about 154 stones (only 36 remain today) and it also had two avenues 50 feet wide on either side, extending another one and a half miles. Excavations indicate it was probably used as a ritual site for some 2,300 years. A mile to the south is the artificial Silbury Hill, which must also have formed a related part of this complex, although its purpose is now unkown. Nearby Windmill Hill - an important settlement in Neolithic times - also has some burial mounds from the Bronze Age. As well as natural degradation, the monument suffered hugely during the mediaeval period when the Christian authorities actively encouraged demolition of what was regarded as a Pagan monument. This process accelerated in the 17th and 18th centuries, when local people also broke up the stones for building material. But as late as the 1720s, the great antiquarian Dr William Stukeley was able to trace the original plan, including the avenues: although his interpretation of this as a Druid site is now regarded as inaccurate, his drawings and surveys provide our best record of what it looked like. Alas, the destruction of the stones by local farmers continued unabated into the 19th century. The 20th century showed a greater interest in and respect for the site, and - rather controversially - many of the stones were re-erected in the 1930s by the archaeologist Alexander Keiller. This involved in some cases demolition of later buildings, themselves of some historical interest. I happen to think he was right to try and preserve what was left, but many contextual historians disagree. Whatever the rights and wrongs, the site is now safely in the hands of the English Heritage and managed by the National Trust. The site Today, the most impressive feature is the great ditch and its banks: the excavation of this feature - nearly 0.5km in diameter - involved moving 200,000 tonnes of soil and rock. It may even once have been filled with water to make the interior and island. Even now, the ditch and bank together are impressive, but originally they were even deeper/higher (at around 50ft). Inside this are the remains of the outer circle, which is nearly complete in the north west and south west corners. The remains of the two inside circles are more fragmentary. Unlike Stonehenge, here you can walk right up to the stones, so allow at least a couple of hours to visit properly. Don't miss walking south from the main henge monument along the West Kennet Avenue - around 30 standing stones arranged in pairs (to the form the avenue). Practicalities There is a gift shop and museum in the nearby Barn and Stables (themselves 17th century buildings) with interactive displays to put everything into context. The museums are fully accessible, but the main site has undulating grassy terrain (without footpaths) which are accessed through "kissing gates". The ground can get soft and rather boggy underfoot if it has been raining, so you will have to judge for yourself. There is a drop-off point in the village. Parking is the main problem: there is a pay and display car park (free for motorcycles and National Trust Members), on the A4361 road between Beckington and Avebury about 400m from the edge of the henge. This can become packed very quickly in the summer. There's a more central car park for those with disabled parking badges - the Red Lion car park is only for patrons. The village of Avebury itself is worth a wander around (Avebury Manor - see separate review - and the Red Lion especially, although it does get terribly busy at weekends in summer). For the most part, you'll still be inside the monument itself!

The Pulteney Bridge in Bath is one of only four bridges in the world to have retail shops spanning…read moreboth sides of the bridge. Construction of the stone arch bridge was completed over the River Avon in 1774. Crossing the bridge (I was on a bus) has a very Old World feel. I was excited by the history and seeing the little shops on the bridge. The shops were packed with tourists.

Bath's iconic architecture is one of the many reasons why the city is a designated UNESCO World…read moreHeritage site, from its Roman origins to the fashionable eighteenth-century designs that form many of the city's most recognizable buildings. The guide informed us that the historic bridge is one of only four bridges in the world to have shops across its full span on both sides. (he meant Inhabited Bridges where shops/houses are built on the bridge) 1. Ponte Vecchio, Florence 2. Krämerbrücke, Germany 3. Pulteney Bridge, UK 4. Ponte di Rialto (Venice) I had been to #1,3,4 now. Pulteney Bridge is an impressive structure, its three arches sitting astride the River Avon, a splendid backdrop to the crescent-shaped river weir. The bridge in Bath is one of the most photographed examples of Georgian architecture in the city. it was designed in 1769 by Robert Adam and named after Frances Pulteney, wife of William Johnstone Pulteney. He had grand plans to create a 'new town' to rival that of John Wood's on the west side of the city. His grand scheme needed a new bridge, and he didn't want just any old bridge; he wanted a spectacular bridge, one which everyone would talk about, and that's how this came into existence.

If you go to Stonehenge, Avebury Circle or Silbury Hill you should stop in at this amazing burial…read moremound. It's small but that's part of the attraction. At Stonehenge, Avebury and Silbury everything is seen from a distance like you're walking through a museum where everything is behind glass. Here you can go into the mound and explore around it all you like. There are no walkways, fences or signs that start, "Please don't...... ". When you walk to the back of the interior you lose your scene of time and feel it could just as easily be 1010 BC outside in the sunlight as 2010. The stones guarding the entrance are in many ways more remarkable than those at the better know places. First of all the people who erected them seem to have just left for supper. They are arranged in a perfect order as if stating: "let those inside rest in peace". But what I found most amazing about West Kennet Long Barrow was that the basic layout of the place, the location on the hill, the grandeur of it all (if on a small scale) are all reminiscent of our modern places of worship and remembrance. The people who built the mound must have revered those who were once buried here and the template they created through intuition and inspiration have stayed with us all these years.