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Summer Solstice passes peacefully
The largest crowd in recent years gathered at Stone Henge overnight to celebrate the Summer Solstice this morning as a further 1,000 congregated at Avebury.
Visitor numbers at the 5,000-year-old English Heritage Site on the Salisbury Plain totalled 24,094, up from 18,700 last year, to watch the longest day of the year dawn.
A spokesman said numbers swelled above a predicted 20,000 because extra people, on their way to Glastonbury music festival, stopped off to join the party.
Police were pleased to see that those attending had also heeded their warning to use public transport to get to the area as vehicle numbers at the gathering were also down on last year's total, dropping from 4,536 to 3,577.
As the sun rose at 4.58am a cheer went up from those gathered overnight at the stone circle on Salisbury Plain.
Revellers clad in antlers, black cloaks and oak leaves gathered at the Heel stone - a twisted, pockmarked pillar at the edge of the prehistoric monument - to welcome the rising sun.
"Happy Solstice" said Laura Tungate, 26, a financial adviser from Newcastle, who has attended the event for the past eight years.
"I love the whole vibe, and the energy, and the fact that these stones are alive, they do breathe, and they do grow and they're massive."
Jeanette Montesano, a 23-year-old religion graduate from New York and a self-described pagan, compared the importance of the trip with the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca.
| "I love the whole vibe, and the energy, and the fact that these stones are alive, they do breathe, and they do grow and they're massive." | | Laura Tungate |
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"It's not the hajj, but it is 19,000 people in a little circle. I wanted to experience something like that," she said.
A spokeswoman for the Druid Network said: "The Summer Solstice is a way of attuning ourselves back into the cycles of nature, connecting with the land and the turning of the seasonal tides."
The atmosphere both there and at Avebury was peaceful, with just four arrests made at Stone Henge for minor public order offences.
There had been concerns trouble would flare at Avebury due to the National Trust's decision to ban high-sided vehicles from its overflow car park.
Scott Green, National Trust property manager, thanked all involved for making the solstice a peaceful and enjoyable celebration, and for using public transport.
Luckily there was only one short shower to contend with, although the cloud did to the most part cover the sunrise.
Superintendent Dave Bennett, of Wiltshire Police, said: 'We are pleased that, in partnership with English Heritage, Summer Solstice has passed off peacefully.
"There have been no incidents of any note. yet again attendees have not been able to fully see the sunrise given the nature of our unpredicatble British weather but al least it has remained dry."
8:29am Thursday 21st June 2007
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CommentPosted by: jb, nr avebury on 9:36am Thu 21 Jun 07
[bold]Amazing, no riots, no rape & pillage & burning of Avebury, no middleclass moaners strung up by their Volvos and 4x4, no sewage running down the streets, no pagan burning of the church, and after all that attempt at generating panic by the police and the National trust.
What ever is the world coming to when you can't find a reason to harrass a hippy?[/bold]
Amazing, no riots, no rape & pillage & burning of Avebury, no middleclass moaners strung up by their Volvos and 4x4, no sewage running down the streets, no pagan burning of the church, and after all that attempt at generating panic by the police and the National trust.
What ever is the world coming to when you can't find a reason to harrass a hippy? Posted by: nonbiological, Berkshire on 5:25pm Thu 21 Jun 07
Well said!
More parking in Avebury is always welcome - surely some farmer could make a little cash using a field for the night? We had to walk 3 miles last time.
Well said!
More parking in Avebury is always welcome - surely some farmer could make a little cash using a field for the night? We had to walk 3 miles last time.
Posted by: Curious, Chippenham on 12:01am Sun 24 Jun 07
I took some visiting friends from abroad to see Avebury earlier in the year, it was a place they really wanted to see, wanted to know everything about the wey lines and especially the ghost in the Red Lion, but hey, the first thing they got to see was the Heritage Trust wanting £4.50 to park in the public car park, then the 4x4 Landrover parked up with a little table next to it with someone in green trying to get them to sign up to the trust for over a grand!!!, life time membership, but come on, you could buy the Grand Canyon for cheaper, apparently. Then after the walk around the stones to try and recover from the shock, I had to stump up £21 for the four of us to look around the museum, well what was left of it, most was in ill repair and looked like it hadn’t been cleaned for a few years, but never mind, the £14 for tea and cream scones was a little better. Did I say Better? Sorry I meant bitter.
But it did end happily, I managed to sell 2 of the stones to them, so covered the cost of the parking.
I took some visiting friends from abroad to see Avebury earlier in the year, it was a place they really wanted to see, wanted to know everything about the wey lines and especially the ghost in the Red Lion, but hey, the first thing they got to see was the Heritage Trust wanting £4.50 to park in the public car park, then the 4x4 Landrover parked up with a little table next to it with someone in green trying to get them to sign up to the trust for over a grand!!!, life time membership, but come on, you could buy the Grand Canyon for cheaper, apparently. Then after the walk around the stones to try and recover from the shock, I had to stump up £21 for the four of us to look around the museum, well what was left of it, most was in ill repair and looked like it hadn’t been cleaned for a few years, but never mind, the £14 for tea and cream scones was a little better. Did I say Better? Sorry I meant bitter.
But it did end happily, I managed to sell 2 of the stones to them, so covered the cost of the parking.
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