Stonehenge gets £27m facelift to end ‘national embarrassment’
For a number of reasons I have never fully thought through I find Avebury more impressive than Stonehenge. I wonder if it is the bleak and functional nature of the current tourism accoutrements of Stonehenge which diminishes it for me? Avebury has a sense of being a living monument in the way it surrouds people’s ongoing living and working patterns and seems somehow more knitted into real people and their lives. Anyway this good news story signals good news for our most iconic attraction. It tells us:
Simon Thurley, the chief executive of English Heritage, said: “A new dawn at Stonehenge is truly upon us. Though the stones themselves have never failed to awe visitors, their setting has been a national embarrassment and disgrace.
“After nearly 30 years English Heritage finally has a scheme that will transform the setting of the stones and our visitors’ experience of them.
“The restoration of the landscape together with a major new exhibition on site will finally give our greatest and most famous monument the treatment it deserves.”
The heritage and tourism minister, John Penrose, said: “People have been talking about the project for nearly 30 years and so I’m absolutely delighted that work is finally under way to preserve this internationally recognisable prehistoric world heritage site, and to improve the visitor experience for those who come to marvel at it too.”
I am intrigued by the economic contribution of places like this to rural economies. I did some work a few years ago to look at the impact of Lincoln Cathedral in that context. Do Hinterland readers have any examples of other such studies which have been undertaken and would be worthy of sharing?