Are there tours that let you touch Stonehenge?
- By
- Aparna Patel
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- 29 Jul, 2023
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If you go as a pilgrim for a solstice or equinox dawn or dusk, you can rest your head on the ancient stones and meditate. It’s not for tourists but if you need to connect in this druidic way no one will stop you at the open access times.
The most access you can get to stonehenge is during the summer and winter solstice’s. There are some details on the english heritage web site.
There is no need to pay anyone for this, just turn up over the night before the solstice and follow the crowds. You do not need to get permission, neither from the secular authorities or the Druidic ones. However the last few have been cancelled because of covid, so it will be worth checking before you travel. This picture from english heritage gives an idea of the event:
More of an FYI than an answer; there are photos on the BBC website of ‘druids’ celebrating the 2016 winter solstice. As you can see, some are touching the stones. This is probably a Special Access tour and technically the participants are not supposed to do this, but English Heritage don’t seem to police the event too strictly. So if you can persuade a ‘druid’ group to let you join them…
I would agree with Kate though, impressive as Stonehenge is, there are many other stone circles that haven’t been restored as much and you can climb all over their stones for as long as you like
There’s Avebury plus lots of other semi-abandoned "stone circles" that you can headbut to your hearth’s content.
Well if it is a dream, and money is no object, offer $1 million "donation" to the English heritage trust; then I am sure they will allow you to stroke the dolmens.
Else you can always hire mercenary commandos, neutralise the guards, and get intimate with the megaliths…
A simpler "solution" though would be to do a dodge and run during your inner tour and quickly caress a stone before spending the next few hours being questioned by the police and paying a fine….
A word of caution, as Stonehenge is highly mediatised, surrounded by wild theories, and shrouded by fantasy, and since it has been a lifelong dream for you… you might be quite underwhelmed by the reality of it.
For me, while being quite unimpressed by the henge itself, I found that the crows perched on the stones brought a sacred timeless dimension to the place.
There is a Special Access Tour, which brings you closer to Stonehenge than the general public.
For those who are really, really interested in Stonehenge it is possible to go beyond the rope fence and walk among the stones.
These visits are called Special Access or Inner Circle visits and take place outside public opening hours (i.e. dawn or dusk).
There are two ways of conducting a Special Access Tour; by booking straight with English Heritage on their website, or by booking a private tour with a company from London.
This is the closest you can get, but you still can’t touch the stones. Terms and Conditions say:
Stonehenge is protected under the Ancient Monuments and Archaelogical Areas Act and you must adhere to the regulations outlined in the act or face criminal prosecution. No person may touch, lean against, stand on or climb the stones, or disturb the ground in any way. No equipment can be attached to, leant on or supported by the stones.
I suspect you’d need to be an archaeologist to touch the stones.
Although this is not exactly what you’ve asked, I will still put a blatant, relevant ad in here: a few years ago I had a trip to Stonehenge with https://www.internationalfriends.co.uk and it was really, really good. The small group size and the knowledgable guide made it a really fantastic experience. We even saw the West Kennet Long Barrow, accessing that is a bit tricky with larger groups.
Credit:stackoverflow.com‘
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