The long-awaited exhibition and visitor centre at Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain opened on 18 December.
The new centre is a short bus-ride away from the henge itself, which is intended to keep unsupervised people away from the ancient stones and at the same time increase the interest of visiting them.
New sarsen stones have been put into the visitor centre so that people can touch them. There is also a 'virtual' visit to the stones inside the visitor centre to help people understand the structure. And on a more prosaic level, there are 1,800m2 of Chicksgrove limestone paving around the centre supplied by quarry company Lovell Purbeck, which took over the Chicksgrove quarry earlier this year.
The new visitor centre is the first phase of a £27million project by English Heritage to transform the visitor experience of the site. Funding includes a £10million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and substantial gifts from the Garfield Weston Foundation, The Linbury Trust and the Wolfson Foundation.
Visitors will be able to see original objects used in the construction of the henge and tools and weapons connected with Neolithic and Bronze Age men and women. The most advanced reconstruction of the face of a 5,500-year-old man buried in a long barrow 1.5miles from Stonehenge is a highlight of the exhibits.
A special exhibition will display important objects, never seen together before, that tell the story of the changing understanding of Stonehenge over the centuries. These include two rare 14th century manuscripts (which include among the earliest known drawings of the monument), Roman coins and jewellery, and early surveying equipment.
A 360º virtual experience lets visitors ‘stand in the stones’ before they enter the gallery. This three-minute film, based on state-of-the-art laser scan images of the stone circle, transports the viewer back through the millennia to experience the summer and winter solstices as the Druids might have known them.
Dr Simon Thurley, the Chief Executive of English Heritage, said: “At last, visitors to Stonehenge will be able to get a sense of the people who built this monument, of their lives, their deaths and their ceremonies. Visitors will, for the first time, learn the astonishing history of the stones and will see objects, many never seen before, that will bring the stones to life."
The new visitor and exhibition centre was designed by Denton Corker Marshall. It aims to be light and unimposing, sensitive to its surroundings and deferential to the stones. The galleries, café, shop and toilets are housed in a pair of single-storey units sitting beneath an undulating canopy that evokes the gentle rolling plains nearby. Locally sourced, pre-weathered sweet chestnut and the Salisbury limestone are among the materials used.
Loraine Knowles, Stonehenge Director at English Heritage, said: “This is a major milestone in a long journey to make the experience of Stonehenge worthy of its iconic world heritage status. When the restoration of the landscape is complete by summer 2014, visitors will be able to enjoy the special atmosphere of this place with far fewer distractions from modern-day sights and sounds. I’d like to thank our partners and the many individuals and organisations who have shared our vision and helped us to achieve this historic event."
The Stonehenge Environmental Improvements Project is the largest capital project ever undertaken by English Heritage. The new building is 11/2miles from Stonehenge to enable the immediate area around the monument to be free of modern structures. Work to demolish the existing facilities and car park and return the area to grass will begin shortly.
From the 1 February, entrance to Stonehenge will be managed through timed tickets – and advance booking is being strongly recommended. The price: Adult £14.90, Concession £13.40 and Child £8.90. For opening hours and online booking visit www.english-heritage.org.uk/stonehenge.