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Stonehenge Free Open Access for Summer Solstice 2012 Wiltshire

Submitted by Andy B on Wednesday, 13 June 2012  Page Views: 16963

Stonehenge

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Country: England County: Wiltshire Type: Henge

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Stonehenge.
Stonehenge. submitted by AngieLake : The new Ancestor sculpture with Stonehenge in the distance. Solstice Eve, 2010. (Vote or comment on this photo)
English Heritage write: We are pleased to be providing Managed Open Access to Stonehenge for the Summer Solstice. Please help us create a peaceful occasion by taking personal responsibility and following the Conditions of Entry and guidelines set out on the following pages.

We have a duty of care to ensure public safety and are responsible for the protection of Stonehenge and its surrounding Monuments. If we are to ensure that future access is sustainable, it is essential that everyone observes and abides by these Conditions of Entry (PDF File).

During the Summer Solstice access to Stonehenge, we support all individuals and groups conducting their own forms of ceremony and celebration providing that they are mutually respectful and tolerant of one another. It is a place seen by many as a sacred site - therefore please respect it and those attending.

English Heritage continues to work closely with the many agencies and people from all sectors of the community and we would like to thank them for their help and support.

Parking and entry to the Monument will be free, subject to the Conditions of Entry. Please do not arrive at the Solstice Car Park or Stonehenge in advance of the opening times listed below:

SOLSTICE CAR PARK OPENS
1900 hours (7pm) Wednesday 20th June
ACCESS TO STONEHENGE
1900 hours (7pm) Wednesday 20th June
LAST ADMISSION TO SOLSTICE CAR PARK
0600 hours (6am) Thursday 21st June
STONEHENGE CLOSES
0800 hours (8am) Thursday 21st June
SOLSTICE CAR PARK TO BE VACATED
1200 hours (12 Noon) Thursday 21st June - see the pages on Travel and Parking for further information on travel and parking arrangements.

WE HOPE THE WEATHER WILL BE KIND AND WISH YOU A PEACEFUL AND CELEBRATORY SOLSTICE.

Sunset and sunrise occur at the following times:

Sunset on Wednesday 20th June 2012 is at 2126 hrs (9.26pm)
Sunrise on Thursday 21st June 2012 is at 0452 hrs (4.52am)

More details at English Heritage and view our galleries of past summer (and winter) solstices.

Note: The giant Ancestor statue is returning to Stonehenge for 2012!
Contributor Bio for Andy B: Megalithic Portal Founding Editor.

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"Stonehenge Free Open Access for Summer Solstice 2012" | Login/Create an Account | 15 News and Comments
  
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Re: Stonehenge Free Open Access for Summer Solstice 2012 by Anonymous on Friday, 22 June 2012
excellent time at the nine ladies stanton moor. happy solstice to all the wet folk up on the moor. still a warm atmospere everyone very wellcoming.
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Re: Stonehenge Free Open Access for Summer Solstice 2012 by davidmorgan on Friday, 22 June 2012
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A spokesman for English Heritage said: "14,500 people gathered at Stonehenge to celebrate the summer solstice this year... Heavy rain during the night meant this was one of the lowest attendances in recent years."

I don't mind a bit of snow in the winter, but rain in the summer, no thanks. I stayed away.
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    Re: Stonehenge Free Open Access for Summer Solstice 2012 by AngieLake on Saturday, 23 June 2012
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    Hi David
    I looked out for you on the evening of 20th, but my pal and I left at midnight. We were staying at the nearby Travelodge and just minutes after we got in the heavens opened!
    We'd arrived by 7.40, so saw the usual ceremonies in the circle (Rollo and the Border Morris Men, at least) and joined in with everyone doing the 'AAhhh' and the 'Peace in the four directions', etc.
    It was odd not being there for sunrise but lovely not to have to drive straight back to Devon.
    (Got back Fri pm after excellent night's sleep!)
    [ Reply to This ]

Re: Stonehenge Free Open Access for Summer Solstice 2012 by Anonymous on Thursday, 21 June 2012
A Happy Solstice to all Portallers . . . The wheel has turned once again.
Drumming at the Nine Ladies last night was intense. A truly magnificent experience. 25th consecutive attendance !! No damage, no litter and no problems whatsoever. Just 300 hippies having the time of their life. Rock on . . . Blingo
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    Re: Stonehenge Free Open Access for Summer Solstice 2012 by Anonymous on Monday, 10 September 2012
    Re: Stonehenge Free Open Access for Summer Solstice 2012 (Score: 0)
    by Anonymous on Thursday, 21 June 2012
    A Happy Solstice to all Portallers . . . The wheel has turned once again.
    Drumming at the Nine Ladies last night was intense. A truly magnificent experience. 25th consecutive attendance !! No damage, no litter and no problems whatsoever. Just 300 hippies having the time of their life. Rock on . . . Blingo

    The drumming WAS intense - going on for hours non-stop, which is some stamina indeed!
    I enjoyed it, holding the tarpaulin over the best drummer group of the lot (the one with the snare drum), whilst trying to play cowbell one-handed at the same time... Not easy, but fun to participate. My mates had disappeared due to not being prepared for the volume of rain - it was VERY wet. I'd prefer if the police didn't have sniffer dogs there (although they didn't stop me personally) - drugs are not a public order issue but a private health issue. Better to have metal-detecting knife arch, and why is this back-to-front prioritising then? Glad the 300 hippies in the circle had fun, I guess I can be counted as one of them!
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Re: Stonehenge Free Open Access for Summer Solstice 2012 by Anonymous on Thursday, 21 June 2012
My two little grandsons love the ancestor, they often look to see what he has on, they loved the jubilee crown.
We were lucky enough to see the team preparing to remove him from his place at Solstice Park to go to Stonehenge, we were invited to have a closer look, which they loved, thank-you to the chap who showed them his crown and pointed out the bird on his shoulder, its nice to see the boys so interested in him. By the way they call the ancestor Jack!!
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Re: Stonehenge Free Open Access for Summer Solstice 2012 by Feanor on Thursday, 21 June 2012
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Happy Solstice, All!
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Re: Stonehenge Free Open Access for Summer Solstice 2012 by Anonymous on Monday, 18 June 2012
It`s a leap year
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Re: Stonehenge Free Open Access for Summer Solstice 2012 by Anonymous on Friday, 15 June 2012
used to go to the Stonehenge free festivals. Excellent times except for groups of site abusers who did the same to Meigan Fayre in the Preselis.
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Re: Stonehenge Free Open Access for Summer Solstice 2012 by Anonymous on Friday, 15 June 2012
Hi there Is anyone traveling from Sheffield and has a spare seat? I would love to visit and be apart of the celebrations. Thanks. Email me if [email protected]
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The giant Ancestor statue returns to Stonehenge for 2012 by Andy B on Wednesday, 13 June 2012
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Soldiers from Larkhill are to move the eye-catching 20 foot high giant man of steel from its current position just off the A303 back to the very fitting ancient setting of Stonehenge over 18/19 June 2012.

Personnel from 32 Regiment Royal Artillery, based in Larkhill, will dismantle the six ton statue known as “The Ancestor” at its current site just off the A303 outside the Holiday Inn at Solstice Park near Amesbury, on Monday 18 June.

Then the following day, Tuesday 19 June, the team of six soldiers will take the parts to Stonehenge, where they will put it back together near the World Heritage Site, where it will remain until after the Summer Solstice on Thursday 21 June.

“The Ancestor”, which depicts a man on his knees in praise of the sun, is a big as a double-decker bus. It was created by Andy and Michelle Rawlings with thousands of randomly cut steel pieces welded on to a super-sized steel frame.

It took them nine months and they did it by eye and without computer...

Read the rest of this post...
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Re: Stonehenge Free Open Access for Summer Solstice 2012 by blingo on Saturday, 02 June 2012
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Hi, don't get me wrong, but isn't the solstice on the 20th this year because of the leap year??

http://www.rmg.co.uk/explore/astronomy-and-time/time-facts/equinoxes-and-solstices

" Don't be fooled by the fact that during this period the summer solstice (almost) always occurred on 21 June. This is just a feature of the slow drift through the dates on a 400 year cycle mentioned above. The last time the solstice was not on this date was 1975 when it occurred on 22 June at 00.27 and in 2012 it will occur on 20 June at 23.09. For the dates in between the summer solstice will fall on 21 June. "
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    Re: Stonehenge Free Open Access for Summer Solstice 2012 by Anonymous on Saturday, 02 June 2012
    2309 on the 20th is GMT timing, BST = +1 so makes it 1209 on 21st. Followers of a celtic calendar will be celebrating it on the 21st as the new day starts at sunset. My plan is to celebrate it for all of June. Works every year. Keep wishing people a happy solstice and you will see nothing but smiles . . .
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      Re: Stonehenge Free Open Access for Summer Solstice 2012 by Anonymous on Wednesday, 13 June 2012
      Thanks for getting the same answer as me: 0009 on the 21st is the moment. I wonder what year it will be 1300 BST; that will be a nice moment :)
      [ Reply to This ]

Re: Stonehenge Free Open Access for Summer Solstice 2012 by michelle57 on Wednesday, 23 May 2012
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went there recently- was amazed to see it all closed off. i walked for a good way nearby and was also surprised to find no bird feathers at all in the area.
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