Parking restrictions at Avebury for Summer Solstice

With the Summer Solstice taking place this month, Wiltshire Council has set out its plans to safeguard the Avebury World Heritage Site, whilst also ensuring people can enjoy the event safely.

The Ridgeway at Overton Hill will be closed to vehicular traffic from Wednesday 14 June until Friday 23 June. The area covered by the restriction will be from the Ridgeway's junction with the A4 northwards to the junction with Byway AVEB5, and will include the car park area just off of the A4. The Ridgeway north of AVEB5 to near Hackpen Hill is currently closed to vehicles.

In addition to the closure of the Ridgeway, the High Street in Avebury will be closed to all vehicles, other than for residents, from 6am on 20 June 2023 until 12 noon on 22 June 2023. Additional 'No Waiting' restrictions will be implemented from 6am on 19 June 2023 and will remain in force until 12 noon on 22 June 2023. All vehicles parked illegally will be towed away.

These closures and restrictions were also put in place for last year's Solstice and follow consultation with Avebury Parish Council and The National Trust, following concerns raised and to mitigate the risk of damage to the landscape within the World Heritage Site.

Cllr Caroline Thomas, Cabinet Member for Transport said: Avebury is a beautiful area with World Heritage Status, and therefore it's so important to protect and preserve it for generations to come. With that in mind, we still want people to be able to attend the site safely to enjoy the Summer Solstice.

As last year, and after agreeing with both The National Trust and Avebury Parish Council that it was a suitable arrangement, we have again decided to close The Ridgeway between 14 and 23 June. This should help alleviate any concerns about the risk of damage to the landscape within the site and also help to ensure Solstice celebrations can be managed safely.

Anyone planning on visiting Avebury for the Summer Solstice should take note of these important restrictions and plan their celebrations appropriately.

Further details for those wishing to visit Avebury for the Solstice can be found at www.nationaltrust.org.uk/avebury (opens new window).

English Heritage will be showing a live stream of the sunset and sunrise at Stonehenge for the Summer Solstice. Further details on Stonehenge celebrations can be found at www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehenge/things-to-do/solstice/ (opens new window).