Solstice campsite consultation (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Solstice campsite consultation

9:26am Thursday 23rd October 2008 in

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Avebury residents are being consulted on whether stone circle visitors should be provided with overnight accommodation.

The standing stones attract many people for spiritual celebrations on summer and winter solstice days.

The National Trust is questioning all villagers on their views about offering campsites on special events.

One option includes overnight camping. The consultation runs until November 21 with a decision due by early 2009.

The National Trust is delivering questionnaires to every household in Avebury explaining the three potential options.

They are proposing an overnight campsite on West Kennet Avenue or camping on the site of the trust's overflow campsite.

The third option would be to offer no campsite or tented accommodation at all during special spiritual celebrations.

The stone circle is a World Heritage Site and was uncovered by the archaeologist Alexander Keiller in the 1930s.

Visitors can walk right up to the stones and touch them and nearby there are also several well-preserved Bronze Age burial mounds.

An information display will be available in the Coach House in Avebury's High Street from October 25 to 31 from 10.30am to 4pm.