National Highways is advising motorists to plan their journeys along the A303 ahead of this week’s Winter Solstice at Stonehenge.

Stonehenge will be open to solstice visitors on the morning of Wednesday, 22 December, unless government guidance changes, and English Heritage will also be livestreaming the sunrise.

Due to limited parking on site, English Heritage are urging visitors to use public transport, and this is also advisable in the case of traffic. 

The Monument Field will be opened at approximately 7.45am, dependent on light levels, and will close at 10am.

To assist the flow of traffic both before and after the event, a 40mph speed limit will be in place on the A303 between the Countess roundabout and Longbarrow roundabout, with the lay-bys closed in between.

National Highways’ Emergency Planning Officer for the South West Gareth Price said: “As we have done for previous solstice events, traffic management will be in place for safety and to keep disruption to a minimum, and we advise all road users to check our traffic and travel information channels, plan their journeys and allow plenty of time.”

Drivers can obtain up-to-the-minute travel information on Twitter, @HighwaysSWEST, can find out more on the Traffic England website, and can also phone National Highways Information Line on 0300 123 5000. 

And for more information on this year’s winter solstice go to English Heritage's website.

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