The surreal experience of having Stonehenge all to myself

This August, ticket holders will enter a lottery to gain exclusive access to Stonehenge – our writer went for a sneak preview

For much of the past 5,000 years, there wouldn’t have been anything particularly remarkable about what I was about to do.

Through history, early-rising farmers, Celtic tribespeople, Romans, artists, poets and archaeologists had the chance to marvel at the monoliths of Stonehenge in quiet solitude.

In 2026, in the age of e-tickets, smartphones and drones, such an opportunity is a rare privilege. For the duration of August, a limited, random selection of Stonehenge visitors will have the chance to explore the stone circle on their own, for the price of a normal ticket. I paid a visit to see what they can expect.

The first thing that strikes you is the scale of the stones. From the nearby A303, and indeed from the perimeter path, it is difficult to gauge the enormity of the lichen-splashed stones, many standing as tall as a two-storey house.

It is now believed that many of the stones were transported hundreds of miles, from Pembrokeshire and as far as Orkney in north-east Scotland. When you read these words in a research paper, it sounds improbable. From this vantage point, with the sun breaking through dark clouds overhead, it felt supernatural.

During the summer and winter solstices, thousands of people are granted access to walk between the stones, free of charge. However, the opportunity to wander Stonehenge in quiet contemplation is rare.

Throughout August, all advance ticket-holders will be entered into a lottery to gain exclusive access to the stone circle. The winners will be able to take along other members of their party (capped at a maximum of 10), or go it alone, accessing the site by shuttle bus at 9am before paying punters arrive at 9.30am.

In the modern era, this is an experience that has been reserved for presidents – Barack Obama paid a visit in 2014 – or astronauts like Buzz Aldrin, who visited in 2015. Or, indeed, for those willing to spend large sums of money.

The Explorer Tour, which takes place every afternoon, gives visitors the chance to walk between the stones in groups of no more than five people, costing £295 per adult. There is the option to bag the entire group for yourself, for the sum of £1,475.

Josie from English Heritage, standing beneath a gazebo outside the perimeter before the first public arrivals of the day, said she supports the new scheme: “I hear a lot of people saying it’s not fair that only people with money are allowed in the stones, while normal ordinary families don’t get the same opportunity.

“The price [to book out an entire explorer tour] is out of range for a lot of people. The stones are for everyone, we do have to protect them, but why should only certain people be allowed?”

Viewed up close, you can see how the sarsen stones have weathered the damage of both human and natural forces. The grass in the middle of the stone circle, re-turfed just a few months ago, has already reduced to compact soil, no doubt made worse by the 20,000 people who descended for the recent summer solstice.

The weathered stones at Stonehenge, with the oldest being at least 5,000 years old Credit: John Lawrence 🏞️

On some of the stones you can see graffiti. Some are fairly recent carvings from solstice events, during which guests are asked not to touch the stones. Others date back thousands of years. In one, I made out the faint marks of axeheads and daggers which are believed to have been engraved as ancient ritual or status symbols from 1750-500 BCE.

On another, I just about made out the surname of a particularly famous visitor. “WREN” in block capitals. One can only imagine what architect and astronomer Christopher Wren must have made of this cosmic puzzle in the era before carbon-dating.

Another of the English Heritage guides, Nick, wandered over. I asked if he had any interesting stories to share. He pointed over to one of the lintels. Salisbury Plain once hosted military training camps in the area. The story goes that three young men from the school of artillery were out training one day and dared to have a tea party on top of the stones. Despite getting their wrists slapped, one of them ended up becoming a major general.

English Heritage guide Nick says he describes the stones as ‘Neolithic Lego’ to visiting children Credit: John Lawrence 🏞️

He believes the 9am access scheme is a fine idea, particularly for families with young children who study Stonehenge in years three and four at primary school.

“This, the altar stone, would have been standing up there. And this stone here, would have been on top of that. If the kids are looking bored, I tell them it’s like neolithic Lego. Then I have their attention.”

I glanced at my watch to find that, somehow – perhaps because of some cosmic distortion of time caused by standing within a prehistoric calendar – it was already 9.30am, and I could see the first visitors beginning to arrive. My cue to depart.

Back at the visitor centre, Georgia Butters, English Heritage’s Head of Operations for Stonehenge, said the first lucky ticket-holders had already been informed.

“We, as staff, are privileged to be able to check the stones every morning. Make sure they’re still there. It’s what we do. So we thought, let’s see if we can make that a reality for more people.

“We can’t do it all year round because there’s a lot of fragile archaeology under there. We have to be careful.”

Georgia Butters, Interim Head of Operation at Stonehenge, says the lottery will give more people the opportunity to experience Stonehenge in solitude Credit: John Lawrence 🏞️

As we sipped our coffees (these, too, will be complimentary for winners in the August lucky-dip), the visitor centre started to fill up.

“It may seem counterintuitive to do it in summer, but doing it now gives the widest number of people the opportunity.

“I can’t wait to see who comes, and to see what they make of it. It can be difficult to find that moment of solitude if you have a lot of groups around. But if you tune in you can hear the skylarks, you look around to see the burial mounds. You’re truly connected to the landscape.”