Stonehenge circle to be opened up for rare visits

Most people see Stonehenge from behind a barrier, but this summer a select few visitors will be able to stand within the stones for no extra cost.

English Heritage has said it will choose one booking at random every day in August to get private entry into the site's inner stone circle.

Exclusive close-up access to Stonehenge is usually only given to presidents, celebrities, or visitors paying for premium guided tours. The stones can also be accessed for free during winter and summer solstice - albeit with thousands of other people.

Interim head of Stonehenge Georgia Butters said being alone inside the monument would allow visitors to see "delicate carvings".

She added people would also be able to see "really rare lichen" - a mix of algae and fungi which grow on the stones and make them look like they have developed a hairy coat.

Stonehenge has been a ticketed attraction for 125 years, with public access kept to a path with barriers.

"Usually people can get within a few metres of the outer circle but we can't run it too close because there's really fragile archaeology," Butters said.

However, anyone who is picked in the daily August draw will be given access to the inner circle.

"There's a certain stillness and tranquility about that space," Butters said. "It's sort of mind-blowing and puts you right back in touch with our ancestors."

Sarah Robinson, a priestess at The Wiltshire Community Goddess Temple in Trowbridge, said seeing the stone circle from behind barriers made it a "very disconnected" experience but added "your imagination just takes over" when you go within the stones.

"People in the pagan community see the stones as being quite magical with their own energy and awareness," she said. "To really get close, you can tap into that energy which sometimes is difficult to do at the solstices as they're so busy.

"You are reminded of your place in history - you can feel the immensity of the size of the stones and their weight but also the sense of human history - it's a very humbling experience."

All bookings made at least 72 hours ahead of a visit in August will be entered into the daily draw. Visitors will be notified if they have been chosen at least 24 hours in advance of their trip, English Heritage said.

It said a member of the team at Stonehenge would be present during the private visits to explain the history of the ancient monument.

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