Stonehenge's position today, between A344 and A303. The ditch is still visible from the air, as is the damage done by the concrete access path
Management at Stonehenge
The ancient stone circle of Stonehenge is one of Britain’s most famous and most important archaeological sites. So much so, that it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1986.
Although it is a major prehistoric monument regulated by English Heritage, and the surrounding landscape is also catered for by UNESCO, English Heritage and the National Trust, it seems that some important opportunities to preserve the site were missed. Today, the imposing stone circle is surrounded by traffic and stands in the triangle formed by the A303, A344 and A360 (see satellite map on the left), with the busy intersection of the first two A Roads only a few yards away. This not only cut Stonehenge off from once vital parts of the structure like The Avenue, it also took a lot of the circle’s aura and mystique away, as visitors can hear the cars whizz past.
This website will explore how the site is managed, what is good, what could be better, and whether this relates to postmodern management approaches. This website is an assessment for the Year 3 “Managing the Postmodern Tourist” module, on the B.A. (Hons) Travel Journalism degree at the University of Cumbria (formerly University of Central Lancashire Business School). To research this website, Stonehenge was visited and the photos taken on 10 April 2010.
Although it is a major prehistoric monument regulated by English Heritage, and the surrounding landscape is also catered for by UNESCO, English Heritage and the National Trust, it seems that some important opportunities to preserve the site were missed. Today, the imposing stone circle is surrounded by traffic and stands in the triangle formed by the A303, A344 and A360 (see satellite map on the left), with the busy intersection of the first two A Roads only a few yards away. This not only cut Stonehenge off from once vital parts of the structure like The Avenue, it also took a lot of the circle’s aura and mystique away, as visitors can hear the cars whizz past.
This website will explore how the site is managed, what is good, what could be better, and whether this relates to postmodern management approaches. This website is an assessment for the Year 3 “Managing the Postmodern Tourist” module, on the B.A. (Hons) Travel Journalism degree at the University of Cumbria (formerly University of Central Lancashire Business School). To research this website, Stonehenge was visited and the photos taken on 10 April 2010.
© All rights reserved. Text and images by Cornelia Kaufmann, May 2010.
