English Heritage is giving one lucky visitor per day throughout August untrammelled access to Stonehenge, the first time the general public has been offered such an experience since admission charges were introduced in 1901.
How to enter the draw
Visitors who book advance tickets to the Wiltshire stone circle for August will automatically be entered into a daily prize draw. Winners will be able to wander through and around the stones, see Bronze Age dagger marks and even the spot where Sir Christopher Wren scrawled his name as a boy.
Normally, visitors are kept around ten yards from the stones on a viewing path. The private experience lasts from 9am to 9.30am, with a breakfast roll and hot drink provided for the winner’s party afterwards.
Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
Georgia Butters, English Heritage’s Head of Operations for Stonehenge, said: “Stonehenge is one of the world’s most recognisable landmarks and a bucket-list destination for millions of people across the globe – but very few people have ever experienced the monument in complete peace and quiet. This is genuinely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to stand within the ancient stones with no one else around, soaking up the atmosphere and spirituality of this remarkable place.”
More to see this summer
Regardless of winning, visitors can also see the largest reconstruction of a prehistoric building ever constructed – a 22ft hall on Salisbury Plain. The Kusuma Neolithic Hall, built by 100 volunteers over nine months using historically-authentic methods, is based on archaeological evidence found near Durrington Walls. Entry is included in the Stonehenge ticket price.
Winners will be notified at least 24 hours in advance. A member of the Stonehenge team will be present during the visit. For more information or to book tickets, visit english-heritage.org.uk/stonehenge.
