Around 1.3 million people visit Stonehenge in Wiltshire, UK, every year, jostling to get a glimpse of the 5000-year-old landmark. But members of the public will be able to experience the monument alone—for 20 minutes—as part of a new initiative launched by English Heritage, the conservation charity that looks after the Unesco World Heritage site.
“Every day throughout August, English Heritage is giving one lucky holidaymaker exclusive, private access to the world-famous stone circle,” says the organisation.
Anyone who books an advance ticket to visit Stonehenge next month will automatically be entered into a daily prize draw. Prize draw winners will subsequently be granted exclusive access to the stone circle between 9:10am and 9:30am on the day their entry ticket is booked.
Each day’s winner will be given “private time” inside the prehistoric stone circle, with no other visitors present. A Stonehenge team member, however, will be in attendance during the visit, providing information on the history and conservation of the stones. If the winner is part of a booking group, up to 10 people can also enter the site.
Georgia Butters, English Heritage’s head of operations for Stonehenge, said in a statement: “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to stand within the ancient stones with no one else around, soaking up the atmosphere and spirituality of this remarkable place.”
Other options available to visitors keen to get up close to the prehistoric monument include Stone Circle Experience tours which allow a maximum of 52 people to spend time inside the circle outside normal visiting hours (adult tickets are priced at £63.61).