After a trip to the SW Circle, a walk through the farmyard and back to the official entrance, there’s a box to leave your fee (£1.00 as at 21.9.09), together with the A4 sheets mentioned by Moth. NB: Dogs aren’t allowed in the field.
Like Rhiannon, I felt rather unmoved by the Great Circle itself. It’s huge, but many of the stones lie prostrate or are simply missing. It was also occupied by a herd of cows when I visited (they were lying down and showed no interest at all, which given some of my recent experiences was a blessed relief). To avoid them, I walked around the southern arc of the circle (they were camped out in the north) and made my way to the rather confusing collection of upright stones at the east and NE side. The “Avenue” runs from the east side of the Great Circle and includes some lovely stones, but its overall condition is rather jumbled.
The NE circle though is an absolute joy, one of the best I have visited. A nice size, it contains some massive blocks of oolitic limestone/red sandstone. Some are very squat and square, impassive as (I think someone else noted) Easter Island heads. A lovely spot, even under an overcast sky. I stayed here, undisturbed and alone, for about half an hour. At this point some of the younger members of the cow herd decided to get up and come over, so it seemed a good time to make my excuses and leave. Back round the southern side, just as some other visitors arrived to have the Circles to themselves. An absolutely essential site, especially if you live in Gloucestershire and yearn for something other than barrows for a change!