Tom Holland, a historian, called his competitor Dan Snow “deranged” when Snow said that Stonehenge was “overrated” and that visitors should visit Durham Cathedral instead. Holland responded by calling Snow a “deranged” historian.
Mr. Snow came under criticism when he suggested that anyone interested in history should go to the north of the country and see places like Durham Cathedral, Hadrian’s Wall, and Stirling Castle in order to have a true feel for British heritage.
According to The Times, the TV host remarked that Stonehenge was “a little c**p” when speaking on the Moon Under Water podcast. He also added that Americans visiting Britain would find the site disappointing in comparison to other great marvels of the world such as the Taj Mahal.
But best-selling historian Tom Holland disagreed with his colleague who disparaged the 5,000-year-old monument. He said that Holland’s research was more accurate.
Holland is quoted as saying, “He has completely lost his mind… Houses of Parliament and Stonehenge are the two landmarks in Britain that are immediately recognizable even from a silhouette, thus if you are visiting the country as a tourist, your top priorities should be to see these two locations.
The author, who is 54 years old, agreed with Snow that daytrippers should steer clear of Bath and Windsor, but she contended that Salisbury had so much more to offer, such as England’s highest spire and an actual copy of the Magna Carta.
After saying that Stonehenge was “overrated” and recommending that visitors and history enthusiasts go to the North of England instead if they wanted to immerse themselves in Britain’s past, Dan Snow (shown on the left) came under criticism for his comments. While this was going on, Tom Holland (shown on the right), slapped down his opponent and declared that it was the greatest prehistoric monument in Britain.
During an episode of The Rest is History Podcast, Holland shared the following with his co-host Dominic Sandbrook: “Salisbury has Britain’s greatest prehistoric monument [in Stonehenge]; it has Britain’s tallest spire, which attracts visitors not just from the United States but from across Russia; and it has in Old Sarum an Iron Age fort that is Roman city, a medieval castle, and home to an abandoned cathedral and a rotten borough, so you have everything.” Stonehen
Snow responded to his contemporaries by claiming that Holland’s upbringing in Salisbury had “blinded him.” Holland was Snow’s contemporary.
The famed Durham Cathedral, which dates back to the 11th century and is a prime example of Norman construction, may be seen in the accompanying photo. Historian Dan Snow recommended that tourists check out this architectural wonder, which he likened to Stonehenge.
According to historian Tom Holland, Stonehenge, which can be seen in the image to the right, is both a World Heritage site and the greatest ancient structure in Britain. It took more than a thousand years to construct the circular pattern that can be seen on Salisbury Plain.
Making of the Western Mind and Dominion are two of Holland’s authored works, and he also serves as president of the Stonehenge Alliance.
He is leading a campaign against the intention of the government to widen the A303 through the West Country close to Stonehenge, which would result in the construction of a new dual carriage road adjacent to the monument.
Stonehenge was built during the Neolithic period, about 5,000 years ago. It was created in four distinct phases, each of which took more than a thousand years to complete.
The gigantic stones were arranged in a circle by hundreds of thousands of people from a bygone era, and they stand tall in their positions.
The function of the site is unknown to historians, but because the monument on Salisbury Plain is oriented toward the sun, it is possible that it served as a location for the observation of celestial bodies such as the sun and the moon.