English Heritage look set to ban alcohol and charge for parking at future Summer and Winter Solstice Gatherings.
bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-35500528
Revellers at Stonehenge could face a ban on alcohol and parking charges at this year’s solstice celebrations. English Heritage, which manages the ancient site, wants to introduce “significant changes” in response to “repeated and consistent” feedback. Stonehenge manager Kate Davies, said an alcohol ban would “help everyone to have a better experience of solstice”.
But senior druid, King Arthur Pendragon, said English Heritage was “looking for confrontation”.
In December, large crowds gathered at the ancient monument in Wiltshire to watch the sunrise and mark the winter solstice.
And an estimated 23,000 people descended on the site to celebrate the summer solstice last June.
Despite it being illegal to damage the monument, last year the Heritage Journal wanted revellers banned from getting close to the stones in a bid to prevent the “annual vandalism”.
Great to see the journal getting a name check on the BBC :)
Yes indeed, after years of swimming against the tide of apparent popular opinion it must be encouraging. The tide has turned.
heritageaction.wordpress.com/2016/02/05/bravo-english-heritage-about-bloody-time/
I think the curators report plus the quotes from the police about the reactions of the people tidying up did a lot last year. I hope the journal going on about it year after year did help though :)