This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-25402980
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| New £27m Stonehenge visitor centre to open | New £27m Stonehenge visitor centre to open |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| A new visitor centre at Stonehenge, built to "restore the dignity" of the monument, is to be opened on Wednesday, English Heritage has announced. | A new visitor centre at Stonehenge, built to "restore the dignity" of the monument, is to be opened on Wednesday, English Heritage has announced. |
| The £27m project has also included grassing over part of the A334 road, which ran alongside the stones. | |
| Visitors will be transported about a mile-and-a-half (2km) from the venue to the stones via shuttle bus. | Visitors will be transported about a mile-and-a-half (2km) from the venue to the stones via shuttle bus. |
| The new centre will feature an exhibition of 250 prehistoric objects - many previously unseen. | The new centre will feature an exhibition of 250 prehistoric objects - many previously unseen. |
| Simon Thurley, chief executive of English Heritage, said it was the "end of an incredibly long journey". | Simon Thurley, chief executive of English Heritage, said it was the "end of an incredibly long journey". |
| "Stonehenge is almost certainly the most famous ancient monument in the world and up until now it hasn't really had adequate visitor facilities," he added. | "Stonehenge is almost certainly the most famous ancient monument in the world and up until now it hasn't really had adequate visitor facilities," he added. |
| "There's been no exhibition, no opportunities for people to even have a cup of tea. | "There's been no exhibition, no opportunities for people to even have a cup of tea. |
| "This is a radical change for the million people a year who come to Stonehenge. | "This is a radical change for the million people a year who come to Stonehenge. |
| "They can see the stones for the first time free from the clutter and rubbish that have accrued around them since the 1960s. | "They can see the stones for the first time free from the clutter and rubbish that have accrued around them since the 1960s. |
| "We now have something that I think is worthy of one of the world's greatest archaeological sites." | "We now have something that I think is worthy of one of the world's greatest archaeological sites." |
| Stonehenge, built between 3,000 BC and 1,600 BC, is thought to have been used for a variety of religious ceremonies. | Stonehenge, built between 3,000 BC and 1,600 BC, is thought to have been used for a variety of religious ceremonies. |
| Plans to close the nearby A344 were originally announced in 1927, but it was not until June that it finally closed. | Plans to close the nearby A344 were originally announced in 1927, but it was not until June that it finally closed. |
| One of the highlights of the new exhibition is a forensic reconstruction of an early Neolithic man, based on a 5,500-year-old skeleton buried in a long barrow burial site near Stonehenge. | One of the highlights of the new exhibition is a forensic reconstruction of an early Neolithic man, based on a 5,500-year-old skeleton buried in a long barrow burial site near Stonehenge. |
| Also on display will be two rare 14th Century manuscripts, including some of the earliest drawings of the monument, Roman coins and jewellery, and early surveying equipment. | Also on display will be two rare 14th Century manuscripts, including some of the earliest drawings of the monument, Roman coins and jewellery, and early surveying equipment. |
| Culture Secretary Maria Miller said: "Stonehenge is one of the UK's most iconic sites, undeniably worthy of its Unesco world heritage status, attracting one million tourists every year from the UK and all over the world. | Culture Secretary Maria Miller said: "Stonehenge is one of the UK's most iconic sites, undeniably worthy of its Unesco world heritage status, attracting one million tourists every year from the UK and all over the world. |
| "So it's only right that, after decades of indecision, we can now offer them a visitor exhibition centre and experience they deserve." | "So it's only right that, after decades of indecision, we can now offer them a visitor exhibition centre and experience they deserve." |
| More than a million people visit the site each year. About two thirds of them come from overseas. | More than a million people visit the site each year. About two thirds of them come from overseas. |
| The Avenue, Stonehenge's ancient processional approach, has now been reconnected to the monument, and the landscape around the stones has been improved, with the road running past the Heel Stone closed and tall fences removed. | The Avenue, Stonehenge's ancient processional approach, has now been reconnected to the monument, and the landscape around the stones has been improved, with the road running past the Heel Stone closed and tall fences removed. |
| Work to decommission the existing outdated 1960s visitor centre and grass over a car park, will begin next month. | Work to decommission the existing outdated 1960s visitor centre and grass over a car park, will begin next month. |