Wantage (12km ENE) (map may be wrong)…read more Wayland Smith, Wayland Smith here is a horse for you to shoe. According to legend, a traveller whose horse has lost a shoe can leave the animal and the smallest silver coin (a groat) on the capstone at Wayland's Smithy. When he returns next morning he will find that his horse has been re-shod and the money gone. It was dusk..3 chidren with me..I took a 5p out and placed it on the stone..I said Wayland Smith, Way and the children were gone in a cloud of dust! I finish the verse and suddenly my dust was added as I ran in the increasing gloom of early evening..so fast I caught up with them and we fell in a heap giggling They do say if you look at him you are immediately struck blind Ok so combined with the rest of the area it is a good day out..take a picnic..and I used to work in archeology (as the historian) so heres the history bit :) It is conjectured that the invisible smith may have been linked to this site for many centuries before the Saxons recognized him as Wayland. The Ancient Britons may have been accustomed to making votive offerings to a local god. Wayland's Smithy is a Neolithic long barrow and chamber tomb site located, near the Uffington White Horse and Uffington Castle, at Ashbury in the English county of Oxfordshire (formerly in Berkshire).Wayland's Smithy is one of the most impressive and atmospheric Neolithic burial chambers in Britain. Somehow this ancient grave became associated with Wayland, the Saxon god of metalworking, from whom it takes its name. The later mound was 185 feet long and 43 feet wide at the south end. Its present appearance is the result of restoration following excavations undertaken by Stuart Piggott and Richard Atkinson in 1962-1963. They demonstrated that the site had been built in two different phases, a timber chambered oval barrow built around 3700 BC and the second stone chambered long barrow in around 3400 BC. The wooden mortuary house mainly consisted of a paved stone floor with two large posts at either end. A single crouched burial had been placed at one end and the mostly disarticulated remains of a further fourteen individuals were scattered in front of it. Analysis of these remains indicated that they had been subjected to excarnation prior to burial and deposited in possibly four different phases. Postholes at one end have been interpreted as supporting a timber facade. The whole monument was covered by an earth barrow with material excavated from two flanking ditches and measured around 20m in length. The later stone tomb consists of two opposing transept chambers and terminal chamber, along with the longer entrance chamber, this gives the burial area a cruciform appearance in plan. It is classified by archaeologists as one of the Severn-Cotswold tombs. The large trapezoidal earth barrow erected over it was revetted with a stone kerb and its material was again excavated from two large flanking ditches. Excavation in 1919 revealed the burials of seven adults and one child. Bones found at a prehistoric burial site indicate they belonged to victims of an ancient massacre, say scientists. The site is important as it illustrates the transition from timber chambered barrows to stone chamber tombs over a period which may have been as short as 50 years.

The castle is lovely and grounds are absolutely stunning. Although the structure and landscaping…read moreare lovely, our tour guide felt the need to weave her strong political views into most topics. Examples would be regarding a pitcher/jug that is displayed in one of the glass cases. She said the pitcher "should not be here" and if she had her way "it would be returned" because it was "stolen from a masque." She also said when referring to Dr. Edward Jenner being the first to develop a successful vaccination for small pox that "it really is a question if he were the first." She said he barely beat Africa and Turkey in this world altering vaccine. To which doctors to whom was she referring to in Africa or Turkey? She made a comment of, " My grandfather always said, 'Whatever horrible acts done have been done have been done by the English first.' and I firmly believe this." She was also railing against the decisions of the monarchs before the addition of the parliament. Then she went on to say she wished she could get rid of the current government. A guide should concentrate on the facts and remove biases. It is quite distracting and unnecessary.

What can you say about one of the oldest inhabited castles in the world which is still owned by the…read moresame family from 900 years ago. You have to go. Its where Edward II was murdered with a red hot poker up his fundament .

Bibury is a charming, typically Cotswold. It's easy to see why William Morris called Bibury 'The…read moremost beautiful village in England' - wonderful stone buildings strung out along the banks of the River Coln. Arlington Row, owned by the National Trust, is one of England's most iconic and photographed sites - it even appears on the inside cover of UK passports! Originally built in the 14th century as a monastic wool store, it was converted in the 17th century into a row of weavers' cottages. The River Coln flows through Bibury sandwiched between the main village street and an expanse of boggy water meadow known as Rack Isle, so called because wool was once hung out to dry there on racks after it had been washed in Arlington Row. You can even see some trout in the river, which the trout farm owners told us they are the escape artists! With Arlington Row as a backdrop, it makes one of the most picturesque scenes you will find in the Cotswolds. Other attractions in Bibury include: Bibury Trout Farm, (see my other review) one of the oldest and most attractive trout farms in the country covering almost 15 acres, where you can learn about trout or event catch your own dinner. This village is stunning, perfect photographers dream. Do come you will not be disappointed.

If traveling past Oxford don't miss out on this picturesque little town, offering a prime example…read moreof the Cotswold way of living. Houses are maintained in much the old fashion, offering not just wonderful photo opportunities but also a glimpse into housing of the past . You will find several small tea houses and shops here, as well as a trout farm and hotel. Well worth a visit or even a relaxing weekend.

The Tree Cathedral is another hidden gem of Milton Keynes. I walked in the area back in March when…read morethe trees were all bare but even then it looked insanely cool. I've looked up photos of the tree cathedral in full bloom and it's just beautiful. Constructed in 1986 to look like Norwich Cathedral, I'm sure it's a great spot for small ceremonies. It's divided into various sections all meticulously planned which you can read about on the plaque right in front of the cathedral. It has a nice stone path down the center for easy navigation. Upon reading a bit more on the Tree Cathedral when I got home - you can now scatter ashes there. Peaceful and creepy at the same time. The Tree Cathedral can be found opposite of Willen Lake.

I almost feel educated!‍ We enjoyed this pre Stonehenge!…read more Keeps getting ! Keeps getting stranger!

The lesser known but older than Stonehenge is often passed by, but I recommend you visit. You are…read moreallowed to get up close and personal with the stones and walk the circle which is very wide. The price of admission is cheap and includes parking per family. £7 for two adults and a car. You can upgrade by buying tickets for a tour and seeing some of the onsite buildings. Note that the parking lot pay machines only take coins but the admission desk takes card. Note your registration if you pay at the admission booth. I also recommend you check out the neighboring town and the Red Lion pub.

Actually quite good for a fiver, much bigger than you think. Just glad I wasn't around 300 years…read moreago, or a women, or innocent (quite a fun back story of the caves). Also worth a walk up to the mausoleum above. Ps- lots of places to hide and jump out and scare family/friends :)

My children were very scared by the caves and their heinous contents, though they did enjoy a nice…read moresausage roll afterwards. Despite many attempts, my friend was unable to park her car because of the slope, so please don't bring a car if you're a terrible driver or if you're female. Otherwise, a lovely day out, apart from the lingering nightmares.

Have you ever been on vacation, driving merrily along minding your own business, when whoopsie, you…read morehave to hit the brakes as you've unknowingly entered a gateway to the Nightmare dimension? The Magic Roundabout, a godforsaken collection of mini-roundabouts (or minibouts) that connect 4 main artery routes and a relatively minor road (sorry Shrivenham Rd.), was physically built in 1972, but conceived far earlier way back in 1937 by H.P. Lovecraft while languishing on his deathbed, emotionally distraught by the realisation that Cthulhu wasn't the ultimate evil after all and he simply had to jot down his maniacal design on paper. The fact that the layout of the minibouts of the Magic Roundabout form the basic outline of an upside down pentagram is as blatant a calling card of evil as you could ever expect to see The MR is apparently a 'landmark that Swindon is famous for', which should tell you everything you need to know about Swindon in 6-words and exactly why you should consider investing an additional 10-hours to driving around it instead of through it. Throw in the fact that I traversed this mess with a stunned, wide-eyed American in the car, unused to both roundabouts (they're quite the tourist attraction in the USA and all seem to require a mandatory 3-miles of warning signs to mentally prepare a driver to tackle one) and driving on the left side of the road, which only added to the overall sense of panic and impending doom. We survived the Magic Roundabout, which is more than some can say. Legend has it that Dave Bailey from Oxford failed to sacrifice a chicken or say the appropriate prayers before entering the roundabout back in 1983 and remains there to this day, his white van driving in endless futile circles, doomed for eternity to try and find the exit for the M4.

I don't drive. I usual encounter this when in the car with my Mum, who can be a little worried…read more Invariably as we approach she starts telling me to keep quiet until we are past, at length, until I'm really wishing she'd stop talking and drive, but my mouth is, of course, tight shut. Actually I think she's probably a lot better at it than she thinks. And Marg2k8's explanation makes some sort of sense! It still remains a little scary, with traffic coming at you from what seems like all directions! If you'd like a look before tackling it, then on the map top right go to 'explore this area', then switch to satellite, and zoom in. It's sort of two rings, one going clockwise, one anti, with four islands and four smaller roundabouts in between. I can't help wondering if they've ever built one of these elsewhere since?

Beautiful spot in the Cotswolds to sit and let the day wind away, very picturesque next to the…read moreriver windrush lots of history to find out about and beautiful old ruins great for photography and art drawing etc. I have spent many a day with my young children having picnic and playing with friends even making dens. You can also walk into the ajoining field and go and look at the old dove cot too, this does belong to the house baking onto the church grounds but they are happy for you to look. Also the church of the same site is also a must look, great features inside and as always beautiful stained glass.

No one is above the law…read more Have you heard that phrase lately? It reminded me of my recent visit to Runnymede, where this principal was first established with the signing here of the Magna Carta. If, like me, you slept through World History class you may be forced to ask "what's the Magna Carta?" even though you know you knew the answer sometime in your past. One visit here and you'll never again need to be reminded. The Magna Carta is one of history's most important documents, executed in Runnymede (in the 1200s), for the purpose of establishing that everyone is subject to the law and no man is above it. It also established one's right to justice and a fair trial. Timely, eh? Though this particular yelp listing is for the Magna Carta Memorial (established on site by the American Bar Association) it's really the whole of the Magna Carta site that you'll experience here and this particular memorial is the least interesting of the four main components. There's also a JFK Memorial, a mid-field art installation, and an Air Forces Memorial (which I didn't see). The JFK Memorial is compelling for a single reason: The acre of land it sits on is US land. What? The Queen granted this land to the US in memory of JFK following his assassination. So, you can stand on this charming piece of US soil in the middle of the UK. Watch the "Dear Mrs. Kennedy" (season 2) episode of Netflix' "The Crown" for background info on the relationship between the Queen and the Kenendys. More compelling for me was an outdoor art installation of 12 sculpted chairs, each depicting some struggle for rights that's gone on since the signing of the Magna Carta. I was moved to see Harvey Milk's fight for LGBTQ+ rights depicted as one of the featured struggles. If you find yourself in Eton or Windsor a visit to Runnymede's Magna Carta Memorial site is worth your time as it gets you thinking about things we often don't, but should. No one is above the law.

Well this wonderful memorial might be part of the American Constitution, but it was ours first!…read more Some people, even the P.M. recently stated that it should be part of our own ethos. Other people think we have lost sight of the original principles, and only parts of the meaning have either been hijacked or watered down to every petty conveniences. Take your pick ?