Apparently there is a muddy puddle some distance from a couple of the stones. Thankfully some of the best brains in the land have been employed at vast expense to do a risk assessment and have wisely erred on the side of extreme caution. The prospect of visitors blindly wading through "deepening mud" and destroying the archaeology has meant the closure of much of the Avebury site. In a fit of unbridled generosity the National Trust have decided to waive parking charges thus allowing the curious to park uip and look at the stones through their car windscreens and take a sip from their thermos while gnashing their teeth.

You see the danger is... that many people do not have the sense to walk around a puddle.

lol@ muddy-puddle Risk-Assessments...

BUT:

In all seriousness - and with some inside knowledge - there IS an increasing EROSION problem at Avebury.

The topsoil/surface is becoming badly damaged in places - this affects surface drainage and accelerates the problem.

There really is LONG-term risk to the overall monument, its setting, and potentially its accessibility....IF nothing is done soon :/

None of the problems are insurmountable -
However where is the funding and will ??

The Wiltshire County Archaeologist seems to have very little interest in the site and is probably wetting panties at the prospect of the Stonehenge Tunnel.

A very small fraction of 2.2 billion would certainly help resolve long term erosion at Avebury ...:/

A recent proposal was to create interactive-portable apps for visors at the site, including visualizations of the monument and virtual-overlay type images. etc etc...

This was part of upgrading Aveburys internet connection and creating better visitor center, with the aim of offsetting some possible restrictions on direct footfall over the most sensitive parts of the monument (and also a source of direct income for the Monument itself - now necessary after Governmental changes in funding policies...!)

This was blocked by the Wiltshire County Archaeologist - no funding or action is proposed for Avebury - and thus the Avebury Mangers must take the only course of action left - and directly close off parts of the Monument, for the sake of preventing damage.

So - bad though this may seem, the blame MUST NOT be placed on the Avebury Staff, who strive very hard to both preserve and present the monument to the public (and now have to generate income as well).

Instead blame government policy and the (in)competency of Wiltshire CC !!!