Windsor Castle, Stonehenge, Woodhenge & Old Sarum Private Tour

Itinerary

Windsor Castle Steeped in history, Windsor Castle perches proudly on a lush wooded hill overlooking the Thames. Dating back to Norman times, with sweeping landscaped gardens and turreted Round Tower, it's easy to see why it's the Queen's favourite weekend residence royal Windsor. You will have oppurtunity to explore the outside of the Castle, walk in the great park. Explore Market stalls and shops in Windsor. This tour passes through Eton, home of one of England's famous public schools; President John F Kennedy Memorial site Windsor Great Park and Runnymede, where King John sealed the Magna carta (The Magna Carta, also known as the Great Charter to the Liberties of England, is a document originally issued in Latin in the year 1215. The Great Charter is truly great, because it was the first legal document to establish that leaders did not have arbitrary power, granted under Divine Authority, but instead were subject to the law of the land. The feudal barons forced King John of England to sign the Magna Carta in an attempt to limit his powers by law and protect their rights. In a way, it was the world's very first written Constitution. The charter was a major part of the process that led to the rule of constitutional law in the English speaking world, an ideal which was eventually transported to the New World. It would inspire the Founding Fathers to draft a new document, the United States Constitution. As a tribute to its influence, a copy of the Magna Carter is housed in the Temple of Founding History, the National Archive, in Washington D.C.)

Mysterious Stonehenge The true meaning of this ancient, awe-inspiring creation has been lost in the mists of time. Was Stonehenge a temple for sun worship, a healing centre, a burial site or perhaps a huge calendar? How did our ancestors manage to carry the mighty stones from so far away and then, using only the most primitive of tools, build this amazing structure? Surrounded by mystery, Stonehenge never fails to impress. STONE CIRCLE Iconic symbol of Britain, a walk around the Stone Circle is the centrepiece of any visit to the Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site. With a history spanning 4,500 years Stonehenge has many different meanings to people today. It is a wonder of the world, a spiritual place and a source of inspiration. The Stone Circle is a masterpiece of engineering, and building it would have taken huge effort from hundreds of well-organised people using only simple tools and technologies. Visit Stonehenge to understand words such as trilithon, sarsen and henge. NEOLITHIC HOUSES Wander around the Neolithic houses outside the visitor centre. Step inside to imagine how people lived 4,500 years ago. Watch demonstration of ancient domestic skills - flint knapping, making rope out of rushes, and grinding grain with a quern and a rider. STANDING IN THE STONES’ Watch the seasons pass and take a trip through time with incredible audio-visual 360 degree view from inside the stones, in the visitor centre. Imagine what it feels like to stand in the middle of Stonehenge at winter and summer solstice, with this unique and memorable experience.

Woodhenge Dating from about 2300 BC, markers now replace rings of timber posts, which once possibly supported a ring-shaped building. Discovered in 1925 when rings of dark spots were noticed in a crop of wheat. There are six concentric rings of post holes which are marked today by concrete blocks. The rings are oval-shaped, with the longer axis pointing towards the winter and summer solstice.

Climb the mighty ramparts for views over the Wiltshire plains and imagine the once thriving town of Old Sarum. Stand in the footprint of Salisbury's original cathedral, conquer the royal castle which stood high on the motte, and discover the awe-inspiring Iron Age hill fort where it all began. Unearth over 2,000 years of history and find out how the Romans, Normans and Saxons have all left their mark on this impressive landscape. The Iron Age Hillfort Rising up from the Salisbury plains, the Iron Age Hillfort of Old Sarum is hard to miss. The impressive ramparts consist of two earth banks separated by a ditch. First created around 400BC, they were later heightened in either the late Iron Age or early Roman period. Read about the history of Old Sarum. The Royal Castle Cross Old Sarum's wooden bridge and step into the heart of a once bustling medieval castle. Built around 1070 by William the Conqueror, it was here in 1086 that William gathered all the powerful men of England for a ceremony to assert his royal authority. Salisbury's First Cathedral Stand in the footprint of Salisbury's original cathedral in the outer bailey of Old Sarum. The first cathedral was a modest building damaged by a violent thunderstorm just five days after its consecration in 1092. It was later massively extended by Bishop Roger. In 1220 foundations were laid for a new cathedral in Salisbury (New Sarum) and Bishop Roger's cathedral was demolished. Many of its stones were re-used in the construction of the new building. The outline of both the original and extended cathedrals can be seen today. Building the castle in the middle of the old earthworks transformed the site. It created an inner set of fortifications which became home to a complex of towers, halls and apartments, and a huge bailey. Avebury-Stonehenge: A Scale Model of Atlantis Few have looked at Avebury and Stonehenge, pondering whether they might be part of a larger complex. But when that question is asked, an altogether different one bubbles to the surface: could this complex also be linked with Plato’s fabled lost civilisation of Atlantis Without any doubt, Stonehenge is the most famous megalithic monument of Great-Britain; perhaps even of Europe, if not the entire world. Almost one million people visit the site annually, half of them coming from outside of Britain. But Stonehenge is not the only megalithic complex in this area. Thirty minutes by car, directly north of Stonehenge, are two massive stone circles, in Avebury. In fact an entire village is built inside the enormous henge that surrounds these two circles. Unlike Stonehenge, where the visitor is kept far away from the monument, in Avebury, one can experience the stones up close and personal and the impression Avebury leaves is far superior then anything a tourist to Stonehenge can experience. That is one of the reasons why since the 1980s the number of visitors to Avebury has continued to rise. Both Stonehenge and Avebury are accepted as being part of a larger whole. For example, the henge of Avebury is part of landscape that incorporates West Kenneth Long Barrow, as well as an Avenue – two long lines of standing stones – that connects Avebury to The Sanctuary, next to the River Avon. Finally, Silbury Hill, Europe’s tallest man-made mound, is also part of Avebury’s “sacred landscape”.