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moss wrote:
And a robust article from Maeve Kennedy in the Guardian, expect she reads the TMA forum to get her opinions ;)

http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2013/sep/30/stonehenge-visitor-centre-cafe-museum

Thurley promised that the fight is not over. "This is definitively not it. The absolutely crucial thing is to close the A303, and English Heritage will continue to argue this with all its strength. It is absolutely imperative that the road goes, and the stones are returned to the tranquillity of the chalk downland in which it was built."

What tranquillity? Millions of visitors being herded around denying you the opportunity of sitting down quietly and taking everything in and even taking a photo without complete strangers appearing in the background! Of course the removing of the road will then prevent drivers and their passengers from viewing the stones for free as they drive by and in my opinion one of the best views, as is the view from the hill. Is that not the main reason it is 'imperative' the road must be removed and nothing to do with tranquillity. How lucky I was as a young man to walk freely amongst the stones and not hurried along so that the next coachload of tourists could be ushered in. The best way to preserve the tranquillity of Stonehenge is to do away with visitor centres, car parks and roads and if people want to see the stones, then get off their arses and WALK there across actual grass.. So few would make the trip other than those who have a REAL interest that it would once again be a joy to visit. The chances of that happening?..zero... the cash cow is here to stay!

I don't think we can deny millions of people, mostly from abroad, the chance to see SH merely on the grounds we happen to have a purist preference for almost no-one going there.

Also we can't blame EH for wanting a cash cow. CallMeDave has just cut them loose from State support with a one-off payment of £80m to look after 400 major heritage sites forever.