An unforgettable opportunity to spend time inside the tranquil circle of Stonehenge. Stone Circle Experience at Stonehenge takes you up close to this world-famous monument.
Before 1978 you were free to walk around inside the stone circle at Stonehenge once you’d paid your admission fee. The lack of any guards overnight meant people also hopped the fence once the site had closed.
Stonehenge at dawn. A special access ‘inner circle’ visit .
Finally, in response to the over 800,000 annual visitors, access was restricted. An article entitled “Heritage Under Siege” in New Scientist (Sept 27th, 1979) reports the Chief Inspector of Ancient Monuments and Historic Buildings as saying:
“The whole problem of Stonehenge is numbers … all through the year. What menaces Stonehenge are the millions of feet (and hands) of the ordinary visitors.”
… and continues:
“An archaeologist calculated that if each visitor walked around the central area just twice during his or her visit, the effect would be the same as having one man standing on each square foot inside the ring and jumping up and down on that spot 62 times every day throughout the year.”
After March 1978, everyone was banned from inside the circle – including archaeologists and other researchers, much to their annoyance. Department of the Environment officials said that the plans to allow out-of-hours access to “those with a special interest” had to be abandoned because the custodians were unwilling to work overtime. And so it remained for a long time.
Eventually things changed and these days it’s possible to book to go inside the stone circle on what is called a “Stone Circle Access” or “Special Access” visit. These are one-hour long slots before and after the monument is open to the public during the day, and a maximum of 30 people are allowed inside at a time.
You can book as an individual, or via Stonehenge Guided Tours who will provide a well-informed tour guide to show you some of the hidden features that you might otherwise miss. Many of their tours are at sunrise or sunset.
Stonehenge VIP Access. Walk amongst the ancient stones at dawn or dusk.
Once inside, if the light’s right you can pick out some of the hundreds of examples of carved initials and names on the stones. One of them might even be that of Christopher Wren – a local lad who made good and went on to design the new St. Paul’s Cathedral after the Great Fire of London in 1666.
One thing that a lot of people fail to notice is the sound of the place – there’s a definite sense of entering into an enclosed, peaceful space a soon as you come in through the primary entrance beneath the central lintel of the three on the northeast side of the circle.
It’s only when you’re up really close to the monument that the epic scale of the stones really strikes you – the tallest one is over 7m from grass to top, and there’s a further 2.5m in the ground. Weighing in at over 40 tons it’s a beautifully shaped monolith that was part of the tallest trilithon on the site. Sadly its partner upright fell and broke long ago, leaving the lintel they both supported lying on its side in the southwest part of the central area.
The bluestones, though much smaller than the sarsens, are still impressive rocks – the tallest one stands leaning in front of the highest sarsen stone and has a wide groove worked all the way down one edge. No-one knows why.
There are a few rules – no standing on the stones, no touching them, no smoking – but apart from that you’re free to wander around and properly appreciate both the enormity of the large sarsen blocks, the elegance of the bluestone pillars and the ingenuity of the builders who created the monument over 4,500 years ago.
If you have the chance, by far the best way to see Stonehenge is through a Stone Circle Access visit.
COVID-19 PROTOCOL WITH SOCIAL DISTANCING MEASURSES IN PLACE
Stonehenge Tours has acquired the Industry Standard ‘We’re Good to Go’ certificate which means our business has followed government and industry COVID-19 guidelines, a process to maintain cleanliness and aid social distancing. All our driver / guides have now been vaccinated and take a lateral flow test before each and every tour departure. Responsible Tourism, we take extra care so you stay safe!
The safety of our travellers, tour leader, local guide and support staff has always been our top priority and with the new guidelines for public health and safety for keeping safe for destinations around the world, we’ve developed our plan to give you peace of mind when travelling with us.
At Stonehenge Tours we’ve been working with our London travel partners and program leaders to ensure that when you are ready to explore Britain again, our collection of small group tours for couples and solo travellers are ready for the new world (post covid-19) that awaits us. We even have small group ‘socially distanced’ tours available to book now.
For the safety of all of our customers and our team, we have implemented the following new protocols and measures so that you can feel safe and comfortable travelling with us: – Face coverings – It is mandatory for all customers to wear face coverings. – Hand sanitiser will be available on all of our coaches to use throughout the day. - Temperature check – Our customers as well as our staff are temperature checked. - Social Distancing & On-Board Signage – We have visual reminders on our coaches regarding social distancing whilst on-board. - Due to reduced capacity for all of our vehicles, the seats will be pre-planned and allocated in advance. – Cleaning – We have implemented an enhanced cleaning regime. Our vehicles are cleaned throughout the day with antiviral products, with particular attention paid to all high contact areas and a disinfectant fogging system used nightly on all mini-coaches.
In the wake of the current Covid-19 pandemic public transport and big coach tours has become less of a safe prospect and unsurprisingly less appealing. Social distancing is now essential for the wellbeing of the general populace as well as essential in blunting the spike in new Coronavirus cases. It can be hard maintaining proper social distancing measures on large coach group tours, so for the good U.K tourism, we are offering our private guided tour services as an alternative and crucially safe option.
STAY SAFE: Private Tour Option Only want to travel with your family or chosen group? Why not book the entire vehicle and take a private tour? Choose any Stonehenge itinerary from only £49 per person! View our Custom Tours
Ultimately, Travel in the UK can be as safe and enjoyable as it always has been. Our exclusive Stonehenge private access tours visit Stonehenge before or after the monument is officially open to the public, missing all the crowds. The U.K has an abundance of rural tourist destinations which are as beautiful and historically laden as any in the cities. If you follow the critical advice from health experts and book privately, it is easy to stay totally safe and have a fascinating vacation simultaneously. So why not take the private tour option this year or next and keep your family safe, whilst still showing them the time of their lives!
Our New Flexible Policy for Cancellations and Refunds mean you get a full refund should you need to cancel. BOOK WITH CONFIDENCE!
Thank you and we look forward to welcoming you on our tour!
Stonehenge Guided Tours WINNER: Best Stonehenge Tour Specialists 2020 / 2021 WINNER: Best ‘Historical Tour’ Operator 2020 / 2021 Operating Stonehenge Tours Since 1990 www.StonehengeTours.com
Stonehenge normally receives over one million visitors a year. During peak periods, there are over 10,000 visitors a day with queues stretching up to 100 meters from the ticket office to the car park. Due to current travel restrictions and very few overseas visitors, capacity has reduced to a fifth of what it is normally. We operate daily Stonehenge tours from London, Bath and Salisbury plus our private guided tours and walking tours are easy to arrange and economical. If you have your own transport and wish to visit Stonehenge independently then this blog will help you make the most of your visit.
The English Heritage Stonehenge experience as an independent visitor:
I’m sure that if you’re planning a trip to Stonehenge you already have an idea of how special the monument is. Stonehenge is full of mystery; its construction and very existence are still open to interpretation even in our technologically advanced world. Stonehenge boasts an amazing and unique design. Many believe that the stones possess healing powers. All this is true and visiting Stonehenge is almost an ethereal experience, perhaps because of the mysteries surrounding it. I want you to get the most out of your visit so here are a few of my top tips – enjoy!
There are special buses from local towns such as Salisbury and Bath that offer direct pick up / drop off services to Stonehenge. Remember to check their timetables and give yourself plenty of time to get back to the bus stop. Once the last one has gone there is no service until the next day and although the security guards are very friendly and informative they will not let you stay overnight to sleep by the trilithons, under the stars!
When you arrive as an independent traveler the first thing you’ll notice is the visitor centre. It was moved away from the monument itself a few years ago giving a far better experience than previously.
Currently all Stonehenge tickets must be brought in advance and visitor numbers are limited. You must present your booking confirmation on arrival. [something about it being a good opportunity as there are usually large crowds] Tickets cost £22.80 per adult
Although it’s very tempting to show your ticket confirmation and rush straight to the stones, take the time to go to the visitor centre and exhibition space first. Take in the atmosphere of the World Heritage Site, allow yourself to step into the landscape of when the Henge was constructed 4,500 years ago.
I’d highly recommend you use English Heritage’s complementary wifi to download the free multi-language audio guide. Covering the exhibition and the monument itself, it’s a fantastic way to learn about the local landscape and the most famous prehistoric monument in the world!
In the exhibition you’ll discover more than 250 significant archaeological artefacts showing how local Neolithic people lived, worked and played around the monument. You’ll see hand tools including antler picks, jewellery, Grooved Ware pottery, Arrowheads, Battle Axes, as well as ancient human remains. One of my favourite exhibits uses advanced technology to reconstruct a man’s face from a skull discovered locally. It really helped me connect with the people who erected the monument.
Once you leave the exhibition, you’ll find a large scale map of the UNESCOWorld Heritage Site local landscape including Durrington Walls, Woodhenge and Avebury as well as Stonehenge. It shows how Stonehenge is best considered in its ancient landscape and not in isolation as we often think of it today.
Half a dozen Neolithic houses have been lovingly recreated just outside the visitor and exhibition centre. They are very closely based on archaeological evidence from 100 plus houses in a huge ceremonial earthworks enclosure discovered in 2006/7 about a mile away at Durrington Walls. They dated from about the same time as the erection of the large Sarsen stones at Stonehenge. The houses are constructed with local hazel wood weaved around supporting stakes, with thatched straw roofs and walls of chalk daub. They give a fascinating clue to where the builders of Stonehenge lived during its construction.
There are two Touching Stones, one of the same material as the Blue Stones and the other of the Sarsens. Feel how they radiate heat from the sun differently, remembering you cannot touch the stones of the monument itself. Right by the touching stones is the ‘Pull A Sarsen’ experience, you can have a go at trying to move a real scale Sarsen that shows how many people it takes to move it if they all pulled as hard as you!
The most important thing to remember before you head up to the stones themselves is to use the public facilities as there is no toilet / washroom up at the monument!
The stones are just over a mile away from the visitor centre and there are two ways to get there. The quickest is the complimentary shuttle bus which runs every ten minutes and takes five minutes. The best way, if you are up for it, is to arrive at Stonehenge on foot, through the landscape. You get to experience the unchanged landscape just as our Neolithic ancestors did.
I can walk up to the stones in 15-20 minutes walking at my usual pace so give yourself a leisurely half hour. Fargo Wood marks a halfway point to the stones and is a great place to get close up to one of the many burial mounds. You can’t miss them – they look like big overturned dessert bowls covered in grass and are not giant mole hills! As you walk up to the stones, use the audio guide to for information about The Long Barrow, The Avenue and Cursus.
Once at the monument itself I recommend you walk in a clockwise direction, towards the Heel Stone (which marks the place on the horizon where the summer solstice sunrise appears when viewed from the centre of the stone circle) and The Avenue, connecting the River Avon with Stonehenge. Here you’ll get a great opportunity to take photos of the best views of the monument – the Heel Stone and section of outer ring of Sarsen stones that are still capped with their lintels. Once you have that Iconic shot remember to take it all in, enjoy your time by the stones! There is a rope barrier around the monument that takes you away from the site to get a good feel of the Henge (earth works) that the stones are set inside, before it allows you to the closest point of your visit for some great up close photos. If the stones are wet you may be able to see some of the carved graffiti – see if you can spot where Sir Christopher Wren (architect of St. Paul’s Cathedral) carved his name twice on the stones!
Now you can choose to walk back to the visitor centre through the landscape you will now be so aware of or get the shuttle bus if your feet are tired.
Once back at the visitor centre you can’t ignore the shop for a memento of your visit. My favourite items have ‘Stonehenge Rocks’ emblazoned on them! There’s everything from postcards and pop-up books to beautiful bespoke jewellery and even a limited edition Stonehenge Monopoly!
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Before you leave there is also the cafe to grab a coffee and reflect on your experience at one of the most iconic monuments in the world.
If you want a more intimate experience it is possible to organise ‘Stonehenge VIP Special Access‘ where you visit the monument before or after the site is open and you are allowed to walk freely into the inner circle.
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