Stonehenge: The hijacking of perception?

Free access to Stonehenge is confined to four occasions (two solstices and two equinoxes). This seems to have been the modern reality (including the fact people are cleared out before the actual moment) for so long that no one questions it. But should it be like that?

Who is to say the Ancients weren’t interested in lots more things that happened in the sky than just those? How come English Heritage doesn’t allow free access to view any of those? Many of us might like to taste a possibly more authentic ancient experience (and no, we wouldn’t need floodlights and drugs checks!)

For instance, currently (and best viewed early tomorrow morning, Friday 24th) there’s a very rare alignment of all five visible planets. Who is to say the ancients wouldn’t have been fascinated by that and gathered to view it from the stones? Shouldn’t the modern public be able to do that? Who decides these things?

“Oh well they can still see it from the road” says a notional spokesperson. Not soon they can’t, when the tunnel is built. A five-planet alignment over the stones will never be seen again by the public. Once again, who decides these things?

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