Not for the first time, the new visitors centre at Stonehenge has been given the thumbs down.
Visitors to the new £27 million centre have dished out criticism over “chaotic scenes” caused by the centre not coping well with the number of people.
The new facilities, created by English Heritage, were opened three weeks ago. The new layout was planned for people to be able to visit the site without the interruption of nearby car parking and road traffic.
But the two “land trains” can only take 45 people at a time for the 10 minute journey between the centre and the stones. This has left many people complaining about waiting for more than an hour.
The delays caused English Heritage to hire coaches, perhaps obviating the concept of viewing the prehistoric site in ‘isolation’.
Stonehenge already has large numbers of tourists a day, leaving people to wonder how the centre will cope with heightened numbers during the summer.
A volunteer there, who asked to remain anonymous, noted that the windows can not be opened when it is windy or raining.
Previously, reviews on TripAdvisor rated the site with four or five stars even though the then visitor centre from the 1960s was hailed as a “national disgrace”.
Now, reviewers are less kind, with one-third being negative.
From February 1 2014 Stonehenge entry will be by pre-booked ticket only from www.english-heritage.org.uk/stonehenge. Adults £14.90, concessions £13.40, children five-15 £8.90, families (two adults/three children) £38.70. Members free.
