A pagan protester named Arthur Pendragon who believes he is an incarnation of King Arthur was yesterday ordered to halt a 10-month sit-in close to Stonehenge.

Pendragon - John Rothwell before he changed his name by deed poll 30 years ago - set up camp at the edge of the site last summer to protest against the restricted access to the stone circle.

He believes visitors should be allowed to walk close to the stones and touch them rather than being confined to a visitor centre and a pathway well away from the monument.

Pendragon also believes the fence designed to keep visitors out has a damaging impact on the stone circle itself, holding it "in a stranglehold like a snared animal".

Wiltshire county council launched legal proceedings to force Pendragon to move away. Salisbury crown court granted a possession order, in effect giving him until Sunday to pack up and leave.

But outside court, bearded Pendragon, who was flanked by supporters in white robes, said he would not be budging.

"It's a complete travesty and there was simply no justice in today's ruling," he said. "Papers were only served on me on Friday afternoon so I had no time to seek legal advice and the judge told me I have no right of appeal.

"I'm not hurting anyone and I'm standing on a public road, the A344, so I don't see how I was trespassing. I'm just a thorn in their side and they want me to go.

"I will be appealing to whatever court will listen and get this ruling overturned. In the meantime I will continue my protest and go back to the site tomorrow, regardless of what they say."

Pendragon, 55, who plans to stand as a parliamentary candidate for Salisbury, also complained about the visitor centre. He said: "It was supposed to be a temporary building. It's awful. It is a national disgrace so what I am hoping to do by my protest is embarrass the government."

The care of Stonehenge has long been controversial, and not just among druids. Plans to build a road tunnel to take away some of the traffic noise that blights the site have been shelved on cost grounds. Many visitors are amazed at the state of the visitor centre.

General access to the stones was halted in the late 1970s, although visitors are allowed within the circle on special occasions such as the summer and winter solstices.

Pendragon faces forcible eviction by bailiffs if he fails to leave his camp by Sunday. Should he return, he could be arrested for trespass.