Victoria's Voyage

Some people come to England from overseas to see this iconic landmark, and yet in all my 28 years of living here, today marked my first ever visit to the mighty Stonehenge. As written on Wikipedia, the stones are set within earthworks in the middle of the most dense complex of Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments in England, including several hundred tumuli (burial mounds). Not much is known about the purpose and origin of this famous ring of large stones, but it has an assumed link to astrology, apparently creating a wonderful tunnel-like view during the midsummer sunrise and the midwinter sunset.

Even in modern-day Covid times, this is still a great few hours out in the fresh air providing the weather’s on your side, and while you can no longer walk right up to the stones, you’re not missing out in any way. In fact, it’s far better as you can still get pretty damn close while being able to take a few handy snaps without having to photoshop other tourists taking selfies out or milling around for 10 minutes for your own few seconds of selfie glory! The organisers also have social distancing down to a tee, with staff manning all key points, plenty of sanitising stations, one way walking routes and limited capacity in the shop and exhibition centre at any one time. From the visitor centre the site is around a 30 minute walk away, or alternatively you can take the shuttle bus. Just remember, like so many places these days, be sure to pre-book your entry tickets as walk-in entry is not currently accepted.

Thankfully, the forecasted storms were nowhere to be seen and the weather held out perfectly, so we departed Wiltshire for tonight’s hotel near tomorrow’s stop of Longleat Safari Park with aching feet but in high spirits too.

Nunney is a lovely little winding village near the town of Frome in Somerset, and The George was definitely a good choice of accommodation. Another country pub, you can feel the homely atmosphere from the moment you pull up. A funky labyrinth of old architecture coupled with little book nooks and fashionably modern flourishes, I would recommend this place wholeheartedly. But bear in mind there are several areas with steep stairways, meaning it’s maybe not so good for those with mobility restrictions.

A perfect classic British meal later, we took a stroll around the village itself to work off all the calories, stopping off at the ruins of the 14th century moated castle that resides here, and a church lined with expertly sculpted topiaries – a perfectionist’s dream! We even found Bunny a friend on Donkey Lane!

Wow, what a day!