Stonehenge and its Environs 134
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Stonehenge and its Environs

Stonehenge visitor centre plans unveiled

baza B
baza Sep 17, 2004 10:27:01
Replying to VenerableBottyBurp

Your average visitor to Stonehenge is probably unaware of Avebury's existence. They go to Stonehenge to see Stonehenge. Seeing Avebury instead of Stonehenge is not what the average visitor wants to do.

Just as visitors to Egypt want to see the Great Pyramid of Cheops, visitors to England want to see Stonehenge.

Those who move on to Avebury at solstice time aren't average visitors. I'm one. At summer solstice I like to be at Avebury before and after the open access time at Stonehenge. Very few do as I do and visit both sites at solstice. Driving to and from Stonehenge from Avebury at solstice time, the roads are clear, whereas the A303 has long queues. The official attendance figure at Avebury for this year's summer solstice was 300-400 people. Even if they'd all come from Stonehenge, that's not an overwhelming number.

:o)


Baz

V VenerableBottyBurp
VenerableBottyBurp Sep 17, 2004 17:53:24
Replying to baza

I concede to your more intimate knowledge of the roads being clear which I think is a good point.

I would still like to see an independent run visitor centre (by a university or by the Wilts Archaeological Society) with a little stand for EH and another little leaflet office for the NT....and great big pics of the festivals and the restoration and all the things that EH never tell anyone....

Make Andy Worthington and Christopher Chippindale joint curators, that should do it .

VBB

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