Stonehenge: Up Close and Personal

Posted by Mike Gerrard Feb 25, 2007

People are sometimes disappointed when they visit Stonehenge and discover that they have to view the ancient stones from a short distance away. No longer can you get up close and personal, and touch the mysterious stones, and feel some of their history and magic. Well, not unless you know about one of their special secrets.

A few years ago I went to Stonehenge at dawn and presented myself at the closed Visitor Centre. I was allowed in, introduced to the night watchman and escorted through to the Inner Circle. I was right inside the stones, where few visitors are allowed. The guard retreated discretely and I was allowed to spend time alone with the ancient stones of Stonehenge.

How did I achieve this magical feat of visiting Stonehenge alone? Did I pull some strings? No. Was it through some personal connections? No. Was it because I'm a travel writer? No. Was it bribery pure and simple? No, not unless you count the fee of a few pounds that I paid. The truth is that anyone can have Stonehenge to themselves, but there is, naturally, a long waiting list. All I did was fill in the forms, paid the fee and waited.

The organisation which looks after Stonehenge, English Heritage, accepts bookings for private visits to the ancient monument outside of normal opening hours. Numbers are strictly limited and you can expect a wait of at least a few months. If you're visiting from outside the UK, start making enquiries about suitable dates up to a year beforehand.

To organise a private visit to Stonehenge obviously takes some planning, but the experience is well worth it. The fee of a few pounds is negligible. As well as having the standing stones to myself, I also learned a lot from talking to the guard, as we walked back to the Visitor Centre. He told me what it was like to be a night watchman there at Stonehenge, and to watch foxes, badgers and other night creatures by the light of the moon. And, of course, what it felt like to be out there among the stones of Stonehenge alone, when there was no moon, and the wind was howling.

Read my Visitor Guide to Stonehenge by clicking here.