Saturday March 3 Hiking & Sightseeing in Stonehenge and Bath

Day trip by minibus to go hiking & sightseeing in Stonehenge and Bath . There are no trains to Stonehenge, this is the best way to get there.

Itinerary :

• 8-30 - The minibus will take you to Amesbury, an attractive small town embraced by a loop of the River Avon as it cuts through the high plateau of Salisbury Plain. This will be a starting point for hikers as well as a pick up place for them.

• 10-30 - As soon as we have dropped the hikers and the hike leader off , we will drive (15 min) to the Stonehenge car park to look at Stonehenge stone circle.

• 11-30 - After we have checked it out we will make our way to Bath to visit the heart of the World Heritage Site.

• 17-30 - leaving Bath to pick up Hikers from a pub in Amesbury

• 18-15 - leaving Amesbury for London.

There will be a choice of hiking around Stonehenge ( 8 miles ) and visiting the place: entrance fee £7.50 per person; English Heritage and National Trust Members:- Free .

Or just sightseeing in Stonehenge and Bath with no hiking at all.

Visiting Stonehenge: entrance fee £7.50 per person; English Heritage and National Trust Members:- Free.

Entrance fee to the world famous Roman Baths: £12.25 per person.

You can make your decision whether you prefer hiking or sightseeing on a day http://img2.meetupstatic.com/981263258369601089/img/smileys/smile.gif !

Stonehenge, one of the wonders of the world is an ancient stone circle that has drawn visitors from all over the world for over 5000 years! What we see today are the substantial remnants of the last in a sequence of such monuments erected between circa 3000BC and 1600BC.

http://www.destination360.com/europe/uk/images/s/uk-stonehenge.jpg

There has always been an intense debate over what purpose Stonehenge once served. It is certainly a focal point in the landscape as it is filled with prehistoric ceremonial structures. The site is now an official World Heritage Site and has been since 1986.

There has always been intense debate over what purpose Stonehenge actually served. Certainly, it was the focal point in a landscape filled with prehistoric ceremonial structures.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I4ToQ85jpko/TwQT1G_P8AI/AAAAAAAAAD4/2J6jNS_Cg5I/s1600/stone3.jpg

It's thought that the name Stonehenge originates from the Anglo-Saxon period – the old English word ‘henge' meaning hanging or gibbet. So what we have is literally ‘the hanging stones', derived probably from the lintels of the trilithons which appear to be suspended above their massive uprights. Today the word ‘henge' has a specific archaeological meaning: a circular enclosure surrounding settings of stones and timber uprights, or pits.

http://www.stonehenge.co.uk/about.php

The Roman city of Bath in Somerset was founded among the surrounding hills, in the valley of the River Avon, around naturally occurring hot springs where the Roman built baths and a temple giving it the name Aquae Sulis. Much later, it became a popular spa resort during the Georgian era, which then led to a major expansion that left a heritage of outstanding Georgian Architecture crafted from Bath Stone. The city because a World heritage site in 1987 and is home to a variety of theatres, museums and other cultural and sporting venues, which have helped to make it a major centre for tourism!

http://sb.westfordk12.us/pages/6gweb/6gss/wtravel10/y/yzach/images/hungary_baths.jpg

Around Britain's only hot spring, the Romans built a magnificent temple and bathing complex that still flows with natural hot water. See the water's source and walk where Romans walked on the ancient stone pavements. The extensive ruins and treasures from the spring are beautifully preserved and presented using the best of modern interpretation.

http://whc.unesco.org/uploads/thumbs/site_0428_0001-469-0-20100510122518.jpg

Costs: £26

This includes your transport to and from Hammermith by the minibus;

a guided hike;

PayPal Fee.

It does NOT include your lunch, drinks, souvenirs, entrance fees.

Here is some hike info:

Distance: 12,9 km/8 miles

Hike level: easy to medium

Lunch in Stonehenge cafe at about 1 pm

Finishing hike at about 4-30 pm in Amesbury

Pick up by a minibus at 6-15 pm

Estimated return time to London: 8 PM

Things to bring:
water
packed lunch
some cash for a pub
waterproof clothing
hiking boots
camera

change of shoes in case your feet get wet on a hike (you may leave them on a minibus)

IMPORTANT NOTE: to RSVP "yes" you will need to pay £26 using the PayPal link above.