FEARS this year's Avebury Summer Solstice would be a wash out did not dampen the spirits of the hundreds of visitors, who witnessed the festival’s first full moon in almost 50 years.

Competing against the England V Slovakia Euro 2016 game, which kicked off at 8pm, numbers were notably down on previous years.

However, throughout the night, revellers, pagans and druids celebrated the occasion with fire breathers, drums and acrobats performing before a circle of onlookers grouped in the centre of the stones.

The solstice this year fell on a full moon - strawberry moon - the first since 1967.

The name comes from North America’s Algonquin tribes, who believed June’s full moon signalled the start of the strawberry picking season.

Keeper of the stones, Terry Dobney, said: “This is a special year and is the first time that we have had a summer solstice with a full moon.

“We are out honouring the natural energies. Today we have 100% of light but tomorrow there will be less.

“This is a lunar temple and Stonehenge is a solar temple. We are here to honour the sun. We are really the spiritual side of the Green Party.

“Everyone is here to enjoy the earth. There is a natural high and we are not talking about a chemical high. It is a celebration. A belief system.”

The summer solstice is the longest day of the year, where there are approximately 17 hours of light. The name comes from the Latin solistitium meaning sun stands still.

It happens because the sun stops heading north at the Tropic of Cancer and then returns back southwards.

Bard Angel Grace said: “I write about the wheel of the year, which is the calendar, and I am the keeper of the past. I have been coming since I was 17 with the school.

“The singing inspires people. It is quite an important role. You get voted in and you are challenged by others.

“Last year someone challenged me but this year no one has. When you write a song you are already thinking about the next one.”

On a night which attracted hundreds of people police reported little to no trouble, with only one report of a scuffle which was broken up quickly.

Poetic bard, Mark Westmore, said: “I have been coming here since 2010. I became inspired by the divinity of nature.

“Originally I was a rapper but I realised I was no rapper and poetry just fitted me and the way I saw the world.

“I came here, wrote a bit off poetry and read it out on a piece of paper and eventually learned about paganism.

“I kept on trying and going up and I eventually got voted in and now I have a complete work for all the circle, signs and whole wheel of the year.

“Doing this has helped in other areas of my life. I am a better public speaker and have more confidence.”