A new management strategy setting out plans for the Avebury World Heritage site (Wiltshire, England) has been launched. It aims to protect the site for future generations and balance the needs of the local community and the 350,000 visitors who visit every year. The plan also deals with issues such as traffic, nature conservation and archaeological research.
     An English Heritage spokesman said the plan shows how the site's monuments and landscape will be preserved. The action plan for site includes the improvement of the management of archaeological sites within the site and the reduction of visitor erosion at key monuments; the implementation of a long-term solution to repair Silbury Hill; the establishment of safe pedestrian crossing points in the Henge monument and at other key locations.
     The Avebury World Heritage Site was inscribed on the World Heritage List by UNESCO in 1986 together with Stonehenge. It was inscribed because of the importance and good survival of the six key prehistoric monuments - the Henge and Stone Circle, West Kennet Avenue, Silbury Hill, Windmill Hill, The Sanctuary and West Kennet Long Barrow. The Avebury stone circle is the largest in the world. The World Heritage Site is 22.5 square kilometres in size (2250 hectares), and contains more than 300 known archaeological sites.

Source: BBC News (9 September 2005)