As always, the devil is in the detail. There have been some changes, for instance my current pass which was issued earlier in the year is valid for two years from the date of issue, whereas the new ones are only valid for a year.
One worrying condition is shown on the second side of the flyer above. In the final paragraph it notes: "Car parking charges may apply." Hmm, is this the license for English Heritage to give us free entry, but charge us £14.90 parking fee - increased pro-rata for every passenger?
You will note on the website and in bold print on all the flyers that:
ADVANCED BOOKINGS REQUIRED FROM 1 FEBRUARY 2014
That rather gives the impression that prior booking is mandatory. That isn't the case. Dig a little deeper in the blurb where it says:
"Entrance to Stonehenge will be managed through timed tickets and advance booking is strongly recommended. Pre-booking is the only way to guarantee entry on the day and at the time of your choice; there will only be a limited availability of walk-up tickets for sale on the day."
In other words, they are going to be as bloody-minded as they possibly can be, but they can't (yet) insist on you booking.
A few Bank Holidays with either lots of locals booking in advance, or just turning up on the day,could create chaos. Of course, you could always stop for a picnic on Byway 12 if you just want to look at the stones, or park in Amesbury, pop into the family-friendly Amesbury Museum, then walk out to Stonehenge, following the course of the old A344 - the Stopping Up order seems only to have removed vehicular rights of way - not those for pedestrians, horses and cycles.
You should take great care when trying to cross the A303 - don't walk into stationary vehicles, try and walk round them!
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