The most exhilarating view in Britain is to be abolished. A high court judge this week brought a 30-year battle over Stonehenge to a conclusion by allowing the building of a tunnel to bypass it. Despite opposition from campaigners, archaeologists, planning inspectors and Unesco, the spectacle of one of the most famous prehistoric structures in the world will in future be confined to fee-paying visitors and a few enterprising ramblers.
So far the battle has been between English Heritage (EH), which manages Stonehenge for the crown, and archaeologists eager to preserve Neolithic remains on the surrounding downs. It is EH’s most popular destination, with almost a million visitors a year paying £23 to see the stones and £61 for a “stone circle experience”, which allows them to wander among them. EH’s plan is to enhance this experience by removing the sight of traffic on the road below the monument. The new tunnel, a major intrusion into the Wiltshire countryside, will cost a staggering £1.7bn.
