DAY 94 - 96: Basingstoke, Stonehenge, Old Sarum, Salisbury and Winchester

On the 9th of August I said good-bye to the kitties Fred and Olive and off I went by bus, then the tube to Waterloo Station and then the GWR train to Basingstoke, where I had booked into an Air B&B and rented a car. The Air B&B hosts, Roger and Maria were great, very welcoming and good company.

The car rental (Hertz) was not a pleasant experience but I put that behind me. The car itself was great and so it was that I could see the English countryside the way I wanted to and visit Stonehenge, Old Sarum, Salisbury and even Winchester.

The first day I left early so I could get to Stonehenge early, before the crowds got too big. Nothing as irritating as a whole coachload of tourists swarming over the place, getting in everyone's way, "kwetterend" like a bunch of noisy birds. And really, you do not want photos full of tourists! Especially at a place like Stonehenge.

Well, I managed to get on the first shuttle bus, so that was good. And most people were in groups, chatting away, so a brisk speed meant I was at the front and got at least a few photos with just the stones. It was cold however, so cold! The wind felt like it was cutting right through me. Luckily I was wearing a few layers.

STONEHENGE

Early morning at Stonehenge.

Waiting for the first bus to depart to the Henge.

Magical! Amazing when you think how long ago these very large stones were moved from a great distance away and then stood up like this.

And there they are, on the right and the far left... tourists! In this case at least they do serve a purpose.... they give you an idea of the size of the structure.

The windswept plain. Pretty but cold! And every now and then a little drizzle.

Oh so cold, just like in 2004. The wind feels like it goes right through you.

More and more tourists arrived as I was leaving.

OLD SARUM

I just had to visit Old Sarum. It is older than Salisbury and only a few km away. I got interested while reading Edward Rutherfurd's Book 'Sarum'. The book includes the building of Stonehenge, Sarum and also Salisbury and the building of Salisbury Cathedral.

Castle ruins at Old Sarum

The walls were very thick.

The view from where the castle stood. Such a beautiful area.

Salisbury in the distance

How it would have looked way back when.

The rain kept threatening.

What the church would have looked like.

Fields and houses in the distance

I just could not get enough of the vistas

Beautiful colours of the fields against the dark sky

Eventually there was a huge down pour from which I sheltered in the little shop. Me and about another 20 people. We were packed in like sardines! The guy made a killing with his coffee machine.

SALISBURY

Salisbury has many beautiful old buildings and like in all these old cities, you can walk everywhere in the centre and cars are not a good idea. I parked at the Park 'n Ride and took the shuttle into the centre.

Cobble stones, old buildings and NO cars.

One way to jolly-up a grey old day.

Water flowing through the old part of town. Here it flows through underneath the building, with a waterwheel on the other side.

Just love old bridges!

In the window of a fudge shop in Salisbury.

In the window of a home in Salisbury. The Queen's hand waves, like those dogs with the nodding heads some strange people have in their cars.

Salisbury Cathedral

The cathedral cloisters

Salisbury Cathedral windows

The spire of Salisbury Cathedral can be seen from miles around.

One of the old gates into Salisbury

Such a good idea these colourful umbrellas.

I love these old Tudor homes.

The Hertz car I had rented in Basingstoke.

WINCHESTER

Winchester - statue of King Alfred. Winchester was the capital of England under his reign.

Winchester street scene

Saturday market in Winchester

Tudor house in Winchester

Winchester is a very pretty town.

And the streets were busy on this Saturday morning.

The Great Hall with "King Arthur's Round Table" - from the middle ages.

Winchester Cathedral - on the right side of the building

The Pilgrim's School on the Cathedral grounds

A beautiful, very old building on the cathedral grounds. The Pilgrim's School principle lives here.

Old gate into the cathedral grounds

Mandie's old watering hole 

Gate into the cathedral grounds

Old building next to the Pilgrim's School

Detail on the cathedral ceiling

The walls and floors of the Cathedral started to crack and go wonky in the past. When they investigated, they found that the foundations are literally sitting on thick oak trunks, floating on a peat bog. Water had to be pumped out and who knows what else had to be done to stabilize it all. One guy spent a very long time (as in years) going down there, to get rid of the water. This is the gear he wore.

Part of the ceiling of Winchester Cathedral.

Above the choir

Towards the altar, with the beautifully carved screen behind which the pilgrims used to pray.

Jane Austen lived in Winchester the last 8 weeks of her life and was buried in the Cathedral. This was before she was famous as an author.

This is a different sort of leadlight window. It is actually a mosaic made of the glass of previous windows, that were smashed during Cromwell's crazy reign and collected and kept by the people in the area. Once things had returned to normal, this window was created from the pieces.

The interior of the cathedral

The front of Winchester Cathedral

Winchester Cathedral