A much more raucous fracas than the one reported earlier is simmering in the tranquil plains of Salisbury in England. Plans to preserve Stonehenge and provide modern amenities for tourists have been underway for over a decade. With the refusal this week by the Salisbury District Council to a proposed visitor center, so goes the entire plan.
In its present state, the Stonehenge site is bisected by a double-lane road. In fact, the road passes just a few feet away from the area of the stone circle. The facilities and infrastructure are woefully inefficient and incapable of supporting the large number of tourists. As any landscape architect would tell you, the approach is a key element to the experience of a place. The approach to the ancient stones is through a concrete tunnel under the road. “A national disgrace”? Oh, no. An international disgrace.
Under the aegis of the English Heritage, the current proposal calls for the road to be converted into a long-bore tunnel, thereby uniting the site, eliminating the noise and light from the road, and providing a calm setting more in keeping with its role as a landscape of rituals. The now rejected visitor center and light transport link to ferry people within the site are part of that plan.
Yet groups such as Save Stonehenge! oppose the plans, saying they will do more harm than good. While the tunnel would not disturb the stone circle, construction would still entail bulldozing through the World Heritage Site, disturbing many archeological sites and artifacts yet to be discovered and/or studied fully. Moreover, the plans fall short of reuniting the Stones with their landscape as most of the four-lane highway (no longer just a two-lane road) would still lie above ground.
For more on this battle for the idyllic, Save Stonehenge! provides a vast array of information. The official site, The Stonehenge Project, provides suspiciously little.
Maev Kennedy, “Set in stone?” The Guardian (15 September 2004)
“Stonehenge centre plans refused.” BBC News (26 July 2005)
Maev Kennedy, “Stonehenge plan stopped dead by council decision.” The Guardian (28 July 2005)
The Stonehenge Project
Stonehenge World Heritage Site Management Plan [PDF, 64.4MB]
A303 Stonehenge Scheme @ Highways Agency
Save Stonehenge!
Stonehenge @ English Heritage
Stonehege @ UNESCO World Heritage Centre
The Stonehenge Saga