The last couple of days have been a whirlwind of activity. I flew out Wednesday evening and landed in London around noon on Thursday. That afternoon, I attended a meeting of Britannia Legion No. 1 of the Mysteries of Mithras and received the II°. I also assisted in conferring the I°. The evening concluded with a fantastic Festive Board.
Friday morning, I made my way into central London and took a bus to Stonehenge. Located on the windswept Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, Stonehenge is one of the most iconic and mysterious monuments of the ancient world. Comprised of a circular layout of massive upright stones, it stands as a testament to Neolithic engineering, religious devotion, and social organization. The most prominent stones (each weighing up to 25 tons) are made of dense sandstone sourced from the Marlborough Downs, about 20 miles north. Interspersed among them are smaller bluestones, weighing 2 to 5 tons, transported from the Preseli Hills in southwest Wales (over 150 miles away). This feat of transportation and construction remains astonishing.
Construction began around 3100 BC and unfolded over 1,500 years in several major phases. The earliest stage featured a circular ditch and bank enclosure (the "henge") dug with antler picks, along with a raised inner bank and a wide entrance aligned with the midsummer sunrise. Within this circle, timber or early stone uprights may have been erected. Soon after, 56 pits (now called Aubrey Holes) were dug, possibly for posts, stones, or cremated remains.
By 2900 BC, timber structures dominated the site, which likely served as a sacred burial and ceremonial space. Around 2600 BC, the most dramatic transformation occurred: the arrival of the bluestones and the beginning of the iconic stone circle. Their transportation likely involved sledges, rollers, and possibly river or sea routes.
Around 2500 BC, massive sandstone blocks from the Marlborough Downs were added to form the outer circle and the inner horseshoe of trilithons (two upright stones with a horizontal lintel). These stones are aligned with solstice events, suggesting a deeply spiritual, astronomical purpose. Builders used sophisticated joinery techniques such as mortise-and-tenon joints and tongue-and-groove fittings, indicating advanced woodworking knowledge applied to megalithic construction.
Later generations rearranged the bluestones, added ceremonial avenues, and constructed surrounding barrows and mounds. By 1600 BC, construction ceased, though the site remained a place of pilgrimage for centuries. Even into the Iron Age and Roman periods, Stonehenge saw sporadic activity before gradually falling into ruin.
Initially, a motte-and-bailey structure with a wooden keep, the castle evolved significantly over time. Under King Henry II, stone replaced wood, and by King Henry III’s reign, a royal chapel and improved living quarters had elevated it to a major royal residence.
King Edward III, born at Windsor, began a sweeping Gothic transformation and founded the Order of the Garter in 1348, using St. George’s Chapel as its spiritual home. This chapel remains a masterpiece of late medieval architecture and a key site of royal worship.
The Tudor monarchs made minor alterations. King Henry VIII used Windsor for hunting and security, while Queen Elizabeth I sought refuge there during political and religious unrest. During the English Civil War, Parliamentary forces seized the castle and used it as a prison. Restoration came under King Charles II, who refurnished the interiors in Baroque splendor.
Subsequent monarchs, notably King George IV, transformed Windsor into the Gothic revival palace seen today. Queen Victoria made it her principal residence and established it as both a family home and a national symbol. Following the devastating 1992 fire, the castle was meticulously restored, funded in part by the first-ever public tours of Buckingham Palace.
Today, Windsor Castle remains a functioning royal residence, hosting state events, serving as the home of the Order of the Garter, and housing the tombs of monarchs, including King Henry VIII, King Charles I, King George VI, Prince Philip, and Queen Elizabeth II.
Suppressed in England by King Henry VIII in 1540 during the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the order's lands were seized, and its presence faded until a Victorian revival in the 19th century. Inspired by Crusader ideals and driven by the need for organized medical aid, philanthropists founded the St. John Ambulance Association in 1877. A uniformed Brigade followed in 1887, and, in 1888, Queen Victoria granted a royal charter, re-establishing the order under the Crown.
Today, the order operates worldwide through charitable institutions like St. John Ambulance and the St. John Eye Hospital in Jerusalem, serving all regardless of background.
Despite this, the choir was preserved as a parish church, and the Lady Chapel was finally restored in the 19th century. The church escaped both the Great Fire of 1666 and the World War II bombings. Today, it is a vibrant Anglo-Catholic parish in the Diocese of London and a living relic of England’s medieval past.
The National Gallery is especially strong in the Italian Renaissance, Dutch Golden Age, and British schools. It stands out not only for its masterworks by Da Vinci, Rembrandt, Turner, and Monet, but also for its commitment to public access and conservation leadership.
My final stop was the Churchill War Rooms, located beneath the Treasury building in Whitehall. These underground chambers served as the nerve center of Britain’s wartime leadership during WWII. Constructed in 1939 just before war broke out, the rooms were operational by late August and remained active throughout the conflict.
It was a quick trip, but an eventful one. From ancient stones to sacred churches, royal halls to wartime bunkers, I walked through centuries of history in just a few days. England remains a land where the mythic, the majestic, and the meaningful still converge.
No comments:
Post a Comment