I have been tracing my family ancestry, and our name goes back to Cumberland up near Carlisle. A big stone circle named Castlerigg stands on the lands they held all the way back to the 14th century. I so want to go and see that one day.
We visited Stonehenge 10 years ago or so. Didn’t see much in the way of dirty hippies, just other tourists, mainly complaining that they were cold.
It’s sort of a strange juxtaposition with the A303 just a stones throw away.
Visited Stonehenge on a very cold and windy day in early February 2012. We (regular tourists) were not permitted to enter the stone enclosure itself and had to keep on a paved pathway some distance from the monoliths as we circumnavigated the site.
At the time of my visit, the parking lot, admissions office, gift store, restrooms, etc. were on the far side of the very busy main east-west road. All very low key facilities. You reached the archaeological site on the other side via a pedestrian tunnel. Recent news articles report that the main road that ran close to the site is being/has been rerouted to restore the open plains setting of the historical site. Hopefully, they’ve also improved the facilities.
My understanding is that the hippies you are worried about only really visit the site on the key days of the astronomical calendar (equinoxes, etc.)which have significance in their Druid/occult practices. If you attend one of their events, you would be allowed to enter the stone circle and do all manner of things that an actual tourist would probably be fined or arrested for.
I visited Stonehenge back in 2006. It was one of the stops we made while on a 3-week bus tour of the British Isles. My first impression was that it was much smaller than I had expected. We also had to stay behind the rope line and follow the paved walk that went around it. Didn’t notice any hippies while there. I think they only show up in droves during the Solstice celebrations.
I wish I could trace my history back that far. Only can get as far as the Civil War.
My grandfather has been to Stonehenge. He was always fascinated by it. Was from Scotland. The one thing I remember him saying about it is that it is very windy there. I guess if you do go keep that small fact in mind.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xl6PaGi270Q
I visited Stonehenge about 10 years ago.
Not a single dirty hippie to be found. Lots of nice, polite English ... a few tourists from the continent (I heard a family speaking German) ... and at least one "Yank".