Stonehenge

At last, the truth is out. Stonehenge has been voted the UK's least satisfactory tourist attraction. It costs a load to get in and you still can't get within 20 yards of the stones. It may be historically significant but it really isn't very big. The Avebury Stone Circle to the north is just as impressive and free. There is a village with a nice pub in the middle of it so there's not a lot they can do about that.

They are even thinking of diverting the A303 trunk route so that Stonehenge cannot be seen for free from the road.

I remember as a kid, we would stop at Stonehenge, half way to our destination in Devon for our summer holiday, and just clamber on the rocks for nothing. I suppose people had been doing much the same for 5,000 years. English Heritage must be making a bundle out of admission fees as they can't require much maintenance.

Incidentally, Alnwick Castle in Northumberland (a beautiful and largely undiscovered part of the UK) was voted most satisfactory. Personally I prefer Bamburgh Castle nearby (pictured above) for its impressive coastal setting, much used in Robin Hood/King Arthur type film shoots.