Stonehenge/Winchester Cathedral
by Dr. Joyce Navarro
Located in Wiltshire, England, Stonehenge was built in three distinct phases. It is Britain's most famous prehistoric site. It is said to have been built around 3100 BC. The reasons why it was built range from an altar for ritualistic human sacrifices and for astronomical purposes. Other reasons may have come from visitors' imaginative creations as they gaze at the megalithic structures which have withstood thousands of years.
The current Sarsen stones weigh an average of 25 tons each. Some stones hang on two vertical stones. How these stones came to be arranged in this fashion before the advent of modern machinery is a mystery. Stonehenge is the most widely visited of Britain's more than 900 stone rings. It is the oldest man made structure known to exist.
The British photo collection includes Winchester Cathedral. When one visits England, one can look at real ancient structures. The building originated in the 7th century when an old Christian church was built on the original site of the current day cathedral. At one point, it used to house Benedictine monks. Winchester Cathedral is the home of the throne of the Bishop of Winchester. Several Bishops are buried here. This is second longest cathedral in England. Jane Austen is buried in this cathedral.
