Visiting Avebury for Summer Solstice

Public transport

Our car parking at Avebury cannot accommodate everyone who would like to be here over the summer solstice. Where possible, please use public transport, walk, or arrange to be dropped off.

Avebury is well served by two bus routes. The Stagecoach Route 49 (between Swindon, Devizes and Trowbridge) and the Swindon Bus Company Route 42 (between Marlborough, Avebury and Calne).

Full timetables for the routes are available to download below:

• Stagecoach Route 49 (Swindon – Devizes, via Wroughton, Broad Hinton, Avebury, Bishops Cannings)
• Swindon Bus Company Route 42 (Marlborough – Calne, via Quemerford, Lower Compton, Avebury, Fyfield)

Both routes drop off and pick up passengers outside the Red Lion Pub in Avebury.

Please note that the Route 42 bus does not operate on Sundays.

Camping

There will be no camping available at Avebury for summer solstice.

The landscape at Avebury is historically significant and contains legally protected ancient monuments as well as a diverse range of wildlife.

Camping is not allowed on land the National Trust cares for at Avebury at any time of the year, and we will work closely with our partners to address any instances that occur.

Car parking

Main visitor car park

Our main visitor car park will open at 9am on 20 June for as long as capacity allows. The car park will also be open for sunrise on 21 June if there are spaces available.

Car parking charges are £8 for all day and £5 after 3pm (parking is free for National Trust and English Heritage members as well as blue badge holders and motorcycles).

There are limited spaces available for camper vans in our main visitor car park, but we expect these to fill quickly. Sleeping in vehicles in the car park is not permitted.

There will be no parking for buses or coaches, including tour parties, between on 20 or21 June.

Avebury Manor Parkland

Additional parking will be made available, weather permitting, in the Avebury Manor parkland from 7pm on 20 June. Parking will cost £5 and will be cash only. This area will be exit only from 10pm and all vehicles need to leave the parkland by 10am on 21 June.

If spaces are available and it is safe to do so, we will reopen the parkland in time for sunrise on 21 June.

Please note that there is no on-street parking available in or around Avebury and a Temporary Traffic Regulation Order will be in place on Avebury High Street.

Updates on parking will be posted to this website and our Facebookand Instagram accounts. Please check for the latest information before travelling.

Food

Circles Café will be open as normal (10am-5pm) on 20 June and will reopen from 8am until 4pm on 21 June.

In addition, hot drinks and snacks will be available from the Coach House Take Away Outlet on Avebury High Street from 6pm on 20 June until 8am on 21 June.

Free drinking water will be available 24 hours a day from outside Circles Café in the farmyard.

Toilets and Welfare

There are toilets available behind the Coach House Outlet in Avebury High Street – these will remain open overnight on 20/21 June.

Portable toilets (including accessible facilities) and waste and recycling bins will be available in the High Street until 2pm on 21 June.

A St John Ambulance treatment unit will based be in Green Street, from the afternoon of 20 June until the afternoon of 21 June. Wiltshire Police will also be on site if needed.

We ask that you are considerate to residents in Avebury over the solstice period by keeping noise to a minimum. Because of this, and for the comfort of other celebrants, we do not allow amplified music on National Trust land, including the stone circle.

We also ask that all drumming finishes by 11pm.

Protecting the monument

To protect the monument, the following items and activities are not allowed:

• No climbing on the stones
• No open fires, barbecues, fireworks, fire poi, Chinese lanterns, fire-breathing and associated accelerants
• No tents, windbreaks, shelters on National Trust land (including the stone circle and henge)
• No drones are permitted to fly from National Trust land (see ‘Flying drones at our places’ for more information)