Submitted by Cassandra Simons on the 2012 summer session program in London sponsored by the Department of English…
During our stay in London we have been studying British Film and Literature. Every morning my flatmates and I ride a double-decker bus to the Florida State student center, where we watch and discuss a classic British film. Class usually lasts about 3 hours and is followed by a group excursion on Mondays and Wednesdays. One of the most prominent themes in both British literature and film is a great emphasis on heritage. I have been extremely impressed with the cleanliness and immaculate preservation of every landmark that we have seen in London. On our second week in London, we visited the town of Bath, the Roman Bath Museum, Stonehenge, and the Museum of London.
My favorite excursion was Stonehenge because I had always dreamed of seeing the famous stones in person. Along the country roads to Stonehenge, we spotted hundreds of sheep and picturesque country cottages. The ride was quite beautiful until a huge rainstorm began and the bus started to leak. While Stonehenge is surely a better tourist site on a pleasant sunny day, actually seeing the landmark was one of the highlights of my trip to England.
As our bus rode up to the crest of a huge rolling hill, we could see Stonehenge in the middle of a brilliantly green field. It was exactly how I had imagined it in all of the pictures from post cards and travel sites. Although we had to fight hurricane like winds and rain to walk to the ancient stones, getting to look at them up close was well worth the trials of our trip.
Before visiting Stonehenge, I read about many different theories for their original creation and purpose. Some say they are extraterrestrial entities left by a UFO. Others say that they were created as a place of worship by early druids, or perhaps as a means of marking the position of the sun and moon. After seeing Stonehenge up close, I tend to believe that the rocks are tied to agriculture and perhaps spiritual worship.
As soon as I could study the rocks at close range, I rejected the UFO theory. There is something perfectly peaceful and natural about Stonehenge that could only have come from earth and the surrounding landscape. I felt as if I could stare at them forever, just wondering about who created the pattern of stones and what they were thinking.
The arrangement of rocks reminded me of a sun dial. The circular pattern could easily have been used to tell the position of the sun and moon and to predict the summer and winter solstices for agricultural planning. I am convinced that the site is either a planetary marker or the ruins of a place of spiritual worship. I felt the same entrancement and connection to the earth that I do at a beautiful church or monument.
I was very surprised at how unassuming the Stonehenge center and administration buildings were. For such a prominent world landmark, the buildings were quite small and there were very few staff. The heritage culture of England was represented well by the quiet and perfectly preserved land, as well as the old timey plain gift shop and café.
If Stonehenge was in America, I am sure that someone would have built restaurants, countless shops, and possibly a theme park near the attraction. It was amazing to me that the British have not tried to capitalize on the landmark besides charging admission and providing a cafe. It was quite refreshing to see a beautiful cultural site that has not been spoiled by commercialization.