Lockdown lift for lichen at Stonehenge

LICHEN is thriving on Stonehenge again after tourists were unable to touch the stones during the pandemic, according to the security firm guarding the site.

The prehistoric stones are home to a variety of lichen, a composite organism made of fungus and algae, which is unique to Wiltshire’s Salisbury Plain. It is partly responsible for the Bronze Age stones’ colour when looked at from a distance.

But after tourists repeatedly touched the giant slabs of sarsen stone, it had only grown either above 7ft, or at the stones’ base.

Around 1.5 million people visited the Unesco World Heritage Site every year before it was closed during lockdown.

Venture Security was awarded a contract to look after Stonehenge in October 2019.

Its guards were present throughout lockdown and had a unique chance to see the site when it was at its quietest.

Paul Howe, the firm’s managing director, said: “There’s many different species of lichen and some of them are unique to this area. And you can see it’s probably the best it has been because there has been a limited amount of access.”

Venture Security is also in charge of crowd control at events such as the winter and summer solstices, which attract up to 15,000 visitors. Although touching the stones is banned by law, some visitors do not adhere to the rules.

A spokeswoman for English Heritage, which is in charge of preserving Stonehenge, said: “Although they may look indestructible, we know every stone preserves unique markings from when they were worked and shaped by people thousands of years ago. Many also have rare prehistoric carvings of daggers and axes – some of which cannot be seen by the naked eye.

“We find that the great majority of people who come to Stonehenge understand that the lichens and carvings are rare and delicate, and are more than happy to enjoy the stones without touching them.”