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Summer Solstice 2008 at Stonehenge, Wiltshire

Submitted by coldrum on Saturday, 21 June 2008  Page Views: 50403

Stonehenge

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Country: England County: Wiltshire Type: Henge

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Stonehenge. submitted by AngieLake : King Arthur and the Stagman at Stonehenge 2007. (Pic from camcorder still) (Vote or comment on this photo)
Summer Solstice free opening at Stonehenge happened on Friday night / Saturday morning. A turnout of more than 30,000 Summer Solstice revellers braved the rain and gathered at Stonehenge to watch dawn break on the longest day of the year.

The solstice annually attracts an eclectic mix - Druids, hippies, sun worshippers and those simply curious to experience the ancient festival.

The soggy conditions obscured the sunrise, but failed to discourage the biggest turnout in five years. The event was a peaceful one, with just 15 arrests overnight for minor public disorder, a Wiltshire Police spokesman said.

As the sun rose at 0458, a cheer went up from those gathered overnight at the stone circle on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire. Revellers clad in ponchos, black cloaks and makeshift waterproof jackets made from bin-bags, gathered at the Heel stone - a twisted, pockmarked pillar at the edge of the prehistoric monument - to welcome the rising sun.

Read more and view the videos at ITV Local (Meridian). And view our gallery for hundreds of images from previous years, and lots more on Stonehenge.

Note: Post us your Solstice photos now, and not just from Stonehenge. Lots of video of from Stonehenge at ITV Local and see our selection from YouTube below.
Contributor Bio for coldrum: Based in Milkyway, contributing since 2002. Favourite site: Avebury.

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"Summer Solstice 2008 at Stonehenge" | Login/Create an Account | 65 News and Comments
  
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Re: Summer Solstice 2008 Stonehenge Photo by AngieLake on Saturday, 03 June 2023
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Just noticed someone's used my 2007 Summer Solstice pic of King Arthur and Stagman (?) to illustrate a News page about the 2008 summer solstice!
Love their expressions in that video still.
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Re: Summer Solstice 2008 at Stonehenge by Anonymous on Saturday, 11 June 2011
Thought you might like my King Arthur's Summer Solstice at Stonehenge machinima film http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wuNE5M01ME Bright Blessings, elf ~
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Re: Summer Solstice 2008 at Stonehenge by Walrus on Thursday, 31 July 2008
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Soggy Solstice? Not in the Peak District it wasn't ;-) (The views are better too!)
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Re: Summer Solstice 2008 at Stonehenge by BolshieBoris on Saturday, 05 July 2008
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As an ex-hippy ex-stonehenge free festival regular (one of the very few to make it there in 1985 hopelessly outnumbered by police and the worlds press, and in 1987 having the most profound spiritual experience of my life), I must agree with anonymous. I wasn't offered drugs (although some scally demanded drugs at the car window thinking my partners ciggy in was a spliff), but was disgusted at the attitude and lack of respect for the site of many of the so-called 'revellers'.

The truth is that there were just too many people - I made it just inside the trilithions but the crush made me fear a Hillsborough-type situation - and too many paralytically drunk people - a triumph for spirits over spirit, as for many it was just another excuse for a party just like any other weekend.

In the days of the festival, of course we had the party-till-you-drop types and the unsavoury element (anyone remember the 'brew crew"?), but the festival proper acted as a safety valve, an alternative...

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Re: The soggy solstice: Britain braced for a washout weekend as 30,000 gather at Ston by Anonymous on Saturday, 21 June 2008
coold wet amd miserable.
Everywhere I went I was offered drugs of all sorts.
The police just turned a blind eye..
What a farce English Heritage and the National Trust have let this event become.
shame on them!
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The soggy solstice: Britain braced for a washout weekend as 30,000 gather at Stonehen by coldrum on Saturday, 21 June 2008
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The soggy solstice: Britain braced for a washout weekend as 30,000 gather at Stonehenge to celebrate the longest day

By Chris Laker
Last updated at 12:15 PM on 21st June 2008

* commentsComments (3)
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Heavy wind and rain failed to dampen the spirits of around 30,000 people from descending on Stonehenge to celebrate the summer solstice today.

The dismal, soggy conditions may have obscured the view, but the usual mix of Druids, hippies and sun worshippers still joined hands to welcome the rising sun on the longest day of the year.

A spokeswoman for English Heritage said it was the first time for five years that the famous event had attracted such a high number.

Enlarge summer solstice

The sun tries to break out at the start of the longest day of the year
Enlarge summer solstice

People meditate in the early morning drizzle on the morning of the summer solstice

As the sun rose at 0458, a cheer went up from the...

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Big crowds cheer Summer Solstice at Stonehenge by coldrum on Saturday, 21 June 2008
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About 30,000 people gathered in the rain by the mysterious standing stones of England's Stonehenge Saturday to mark the Summer Solstice, as dawn broke on the longest day of the year.

At exactly 4:58 am (0358 GMT), the hotch-potch of druids, hippies and the merely curious cheered as the first glimpse of sunrise was detected through the rain clouds.

Peter Rawcliffe, 26, cycled more than 50 miles (80 kilometres) from his home in Oxford to Salisbury Plain.

"I've done this for the last three years. I suppose I'm a bit of a closet druid. Most the year, I go about my business designing toys, but Summer Solstice brings out the hippie in me. It's a really magical experience."

English Heritage, the conservation body that maintains 5,000-year-old site, said about 30,000 people attended this year - a five-year record.

The stone circle is one of the most famous and best preserved in the world. It was given world heritage status by UNESCO in 1986 and attracts some 850,000 visitors...

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Stonehenge: Summer Solstice Arrives by coldrum on Saturday, 21 June 2008
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The summer solstice drew thousands of revelers to Stonehenge to watch the sun rise over the ancient monument Saturday for the first time in the new season.

Beating drums and wearing rainbow cloaks, the celebrants walked through light rain Friday to talk, dance and meditate as they awaited the start of the event.

Ray Smith, 60, of Hengistbury in southern England, came wearing blue face paint and a multicolored skirt.

"I think it's a place of our ancestors, its a shrine to our ancestors, and I think it's very important to celebrate each season," he said.

Zoe Neale, 48, cheerfully admitted her visit to Stonehenge "is part of my mid-life crisis." She left her West London office amid gentle teasing from her colleagues Friday afternoon to see a very English tradition.

Organizers expect 25,000 people to journey to the ancient site. They will be allowed access to the stone circle, which is usually closed to visitors. Representatives of English Heritage, the monument's...

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Summer solstice celebrated at Stonehenge by coldrum on Saturday, 21 June 2008
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Druids, New Agers and people just looking for a party are descending on Stonehenge on Friday to mark the mystical moment when the sun rises over the stones for the summer solstice.

Crowds gathered to mark the summer solstice at Stonehenge, near Salisbury, in England, watch as the sun rises, Tuesday, June 21, 2005. The ancient stone circle of Stonehenge is a World Heritage Site erected between approximately 3000BC and 1600BC and despite years of research the reason behind its construction remains a mystery. The summer solstice in the northern hemisphere occurs annually on June 21 and is the time at which the sun is at its northernmost point in the sky.
Beating drums and wearing rainbow cloaks, the revelers walked through light rain to talk, dance and meditate as they waited for Saturday's 4:58 a.m. sunrise, which starts the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere.
Ray Smith, 60, also known as Rhobar, druid of Hengistbury in southern England, came wearing blue face...

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Revellers rejoice solstice at Stonehenge by coldrum on Saturday, 21 June 2008
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Druids, New Agers and people just looking for a party have descended on Britain's Stonehenge to mark the mystical moment when the sun rises over the stones for the summer solstice.

Beating drums and wearing rainbow cloaks, the revellers walked through light rain to talk, dance and meditate as they waited for sunrise, which starts the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere.

Ray Smith, 60, also known as Rhobar, druid of Hengistbury in southern England, came wearing blue face paint and a multicoloured skirt.

"I think it's a place of our ancestors, its a shrine to our ancestors, and I think it's very important to celebrate each season," he said.

Others were in a less serious mood.

"We heard about it through our really studious friend but we're gonna come and get drunk. We're halfway gone right now," said Alison Newcomer, a 21-year-old student from Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Zoe Neale, 48, cheerfully admitted her visit to Stonehenge "is part of my mid-life...

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Dawn revellers greet summer solstice by coldrum on Saturday, 21 June 2008
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More than 30,000 summer solstice revellers refused to let a chilly, wet morning dampen their spirits as they welcomed the longest day of the year.

It was the biggest turnout for five years at Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain, where dawn broke at 4.58am and was met by a large cheer from the gathered crowd.

Thousands arrived at the world-famous stone circle overnight, despite rain falling in Wiltshire, and gathered at the Heel stone

Peter Rawcliffe, 26, a toy designer from Oxford said: “I’ve done this for the last three years, I suppose I’m a bit of a closet druid. Most of the year I go about my business, but summer solstice brings out the hippie in me. It’s a really magical experience.”

A spokeswoman for English Heritage, which runs the 5,000-year-old site, said today's turnout was the biggest since 2003.

She added: “It’s been very wet and soggy. I don’t think it will discourage people from coming again. A lot of people still want to come every year. Quite a few people...

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Thousands revel at Stonehenge for summer solstice by coldrum on Saturday, 21 June 2008
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The summer solstice drew thousands of revelers to Stonehenge to watch the sun rise over the ancient monument Saturday for the first time in the new season.

Beating drums and wearing rainbow cloaks, the celebrants walked through light rain Friday to talk, dance and meditate as they awaited the start of the event.

Ray Smith, 60, of Hengistbury in southern England, came wearing blue face paint and a multicolored skirt.

"I think it's a place of our ancestors, its a shrine to our ancestors, and I think it's very important to celebrate each season," he said.

Zoe Neale, 48, cheerfully admitted her visit to Stonehenge "is part of my mid-life crisis." She left her West London office amid gentle teasing from her colleagues Friday afternoon to see a very English tradition.

Organizers expect 25,000 people to journey to the ancient site. They will be allowed access to the stone circle, which is usually closed to visitors. Representatives of English Heritage, the monument's...

Read the rest of this post...
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Stonehenge partygoers greet summer solstice by coldrum on Saturday, 21 June 2008
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Police estimate 28,000 revelers made the trip for longest day of the year

Thousands of partygoers, pagans and self-styled druids cheered and banged drums Saturday to greet the dawn at Stonehenge on the longest day of the year, the summer solstice.

Blowhorns signaled the rise of the sun over the ancient stone circle at 4:58 a.m. — although in typically English fashion, the sunrise was barely visible through the clouds.

Still, the mist and drizzle did not dampen the spirits of revelers who gathered under umbrellas, ponchos and plastic bags to greet the dawn.
"I've done this for the last three years," said Peter Rawcliffe, 26, who cycled the 50 miles from his home in the city of Oxford. "I suppose I'm a bit of a closet druid."

"It's a really magical experience," he said.

Site described as 'cathedral'
Police estimated 28,000 revelers had made the trip, one of the largest numbers in years. They said there were 15 arrests for theft and minor offenses.

Trevor Wyatt, 55,...

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Sturdy survivor of Stonehenge jape surfaces after 40 years by coldrum on Saturday, 21 June 2008
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A survivor of one of the most audacious invasions of Stonehenge has turned up in time for this week's solstice celebrations, more than 40 years after all the perpetrators were believed to have perished in a fire. As archaeologist Julian Richards prepared to exhibit his extraordinary Stonehenge collection at Salisbury museum, including snow s*****, Victorian guide books, 1920s admission tickets - 6d (2.5p) for adults and 3d for children - and some of the dodgiest T-shirts ever screen-printed, word reached him that Bruce Bogle was ready to come out of hiding.

At first light one morning in 1966 the custodians of Stonehenge arrived to find 12 life-sized stick men, made of wood with painted Beatles mop-top hairstyles, sprawled across the stones. In one of the most elaborate japes executed at Stonehenge, the figures were held in place by cords and sacks of sand thrown over the stones. The Bogles all had neatly painted names, beginning with B, including Brian, Beatle, Boris, and Bruce.

...

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Big crowds cheer Summer Solstice at Stonehenge by coldrum on Saturday, 21 June 2008
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About 30,000 people gathered in the rain by the mysterious standing stones of England's Stonehenge Saturday to mark the Summer Solstice, as dawn broke on the longest day of the year.

At exactly 4:58 am, the hotch-potch of druids, hippies and the merely curious cheered as the first glimpse of sunrise was detected through the rain clouds.

Peter Rawcliffe, 26, cycled more than 50 miles from his home in Oxford to Salisbury Plain.

"I've done this for the last three years. I suppose I'm a bit of a closet druid. Most the year, I go about my business designing toys, but Summer Solstice brings out the hippie in me. It's a really magical experience."

English Heritage, the conservation body that maintains 5,000-year-old site, said about 30,000 people attended this year -- a five-year record.

The stone circle is one of the most famous and best preserved in the world. It was given world heritage status by UNESCO in 1986 and attracts some 850,000 visitors every year.

The 17 uprigh...

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Pagans and partygoers celebrate the summer solstice at Stonehenge by coldrum on Saturday, 21 June 2008
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STONEHENGE, England — Thousands of partygoers, pagans and self-styled druids cheered and banged drums Saturday to greet the dawn at Stonehenge on the longest day of the year, the summer solstice.

Blowhorns signalled the rise of the sun over the ancient stone circle at 4:58 a.m. - although in typically English fashion, the sunrise was barely visible through the clouds.

Still, the mist and drizzle did not dampen the spirits of revellers who gathered under umbrellas, ponchos and plastic bags to greet the dawn.

"I've done this for the last three years," said Peter Rawcliffe, 26, who cycled the 80 kilometres from his home in the city of Oxford. "I suppose I'm a bit of a closet druid."

"It's a really magical experience," he said.

Police estimated 28,000 revellers had made the trip, one of the largest numbers in years. They said there were 15 arrests for theft and minor offenses.

Trevor Wyatt, 55, described the historic site as his "cathedral."

"It's been a sacred place...

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Damp Start To The Summer At Stonehenge by coldrum on Saturday, 21 June 2008
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There were damp socks and high spirits among the thousands of revellers who gathered at Stonehenge for the summer solstice.
Summer solstice at Stonehenge 2008
Thousands celebrated together

Almost 40,000 people converged at the ancient grounds in Salisbury, Wiltshire, to mark the first day of the summer.

The cloud and drizzle stayed throughout the event, depriving the eclectic mix of hippies, druids, Sun worshippers and curious newcomers of a chance to witness sunrise over the stone circle.

At 5am, as dawn slowly broke, people were chanting, dancing, playing music - while others opted for a comfortable patch in the mud to lie down and relax.

Druid of eight years, Mauricio Quest Knight, from Colombia said: "It's a very emotional time for druids and for everyone else, because this means it's the start of summer.

"Stonehenge has been a symbol for time - we have used it for thousands of years as a clock.

"I think it's important that everyone is connected in love and...

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Thousands mark summer solstice by coldrum on Saturday, 21 June 2008
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Some 30,000 people celebrated the summer solstice as dawn broke at Stonehenge in Wiltshire.

Druids, hippies and sun-worshippers were among those who gathered to watch the sun rise at the ancient stone circle at 0458 BST on the longest day.

Rainy conditions obscured the sunrise but the turnout was still the highest in five years.

Police said the event was peaceful, with 17 arrests overnight for public order offences.

As the dawn broke a cheer went up from revellers who gathered at the Heel stone - a pillar at the edge of the prehistoric monument.


It's all about the feeling you get when the sun bursts through the stone
Stonehenge reveller 'Cathbad'

Unemployed John Tarbuck, 33, from Bude, Cornwall, set up a small tent party next to his car.

"The best thing about Summer Solstice at the 'henge is you get to meet loads of new people," he said.

"All the people here at my tent party, I've never met before."

See animated guide to the solstice at Stonehenge

Ano...

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In pictures: Stonehenge solstice by coldrum on Saturday, 21 June 2008
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While rain dogged this year's summer solstice at Stonehenge, some 30,000 people still turned out to witness the sun rise on the longest day - the highest turnout in five years.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/7467239.stm
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Stonehenge Summer Solstice 2008 Sunrise Ceremony by Anonymous on Saturday, 21 June 2008
Video by StormwatchUK
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Summer Solstice 2008 at Stonehenge by Anonymous on Saturday, 21 June 2008
Video by Terry Donaldson
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Kings Drummers Summer Solstice 2008 by Anonymous on Saturday, 21 June 2008
Video by mySterYaura
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Stonehenge Summer Solstice 2008 by Anonymous on Saturday, 21 June 2008
Video by Bruna Brites
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Re: Summer Solstice 2008 at Stonehenge by Anonymous on Saturday, 21 June 2008
Hi, We've been at Stonehenge this morning and have lots of great video of the solstice. Please feel free to link to it from your site. It's at http://info.itvlocal.com/solstice2008.shtml Many thanks Sharon Watson News Editor ITV Local Meridian and Thames Valley
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Re: Solstice 2008 guide by Sun-chaser on Saturday, 21 June 2008
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Hi sun people...hope the sun shone for you wherever you were...and hope you adhered to the 'Charter'...

Just to clarify the complexities of 'Summer Soltice'...

"Solstitial celebrations still centre upon 24 June, which is no longer the longest day of the year. The difference between the Julian calendar year (365.2500 days) and the tropical year (365.2422 days) moved the day associated with the actual astronomical solstice forward approximately three days every four centuries, until Pope Gregory XIII changed the calendar bringing the solstice to around 21 June. In the Gregorian calendar, the solstice does shift, but in the long term it moves only about one day in 3000 years."

Love and peace...Sun-chaser.
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Re: Solstice 2008 guide by AngieLake on Friday, 20 June 2008
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Jeeezus! After reading all that lot above, I'm almost glad I'm not going this year!!!
Sour grapes or not, it looks as if there will be no 'sun' rise, just cloud at dawn. At least last year it stayed pretty dry and we did get a glimpse of the sun.
I've got a good reason to wish I was there, hoping to see my 'V' mark on Stone 16 highlighted by the sun just after sunrise, too! Jack isn't going to make it this year, either, so we're relying on you folk, IF the sun shines!!

Enjoy yourselves.

Happy Solstice everyone, and thanks, Andy, for using my pic at top of this article. (I didn't write the intro, by the way!)
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    Re: Solstice 2008 guide by Anonymous on Saturday, 21 June 2008
    You shouldn't mark the stones!
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      Re: Solstice 2008 guide by AngieLake on Saturday, 21 June 2008
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      I didn't! I wouldn't dream of marking any ancient stones.... anywhere!
      You can't be a regular reader of Megalithic Portal news or you'd know that I'm trying to draw attention to an existing (hopefully original!) carving of an inverted 'V' mark on Stone 16!
      I discovered this feature after dowsing that the stone was the most important focal point and after seeing subsequent photos I'd taken in Dec 06.
      Sorry to mislead you!
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Solstice 2008 guide by coldrum on Friday, 20 June 2008
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Thousands of people will head for Stonehenge and Avebury tonight to celebrate the 2008 Summer Solstice.

Tonight marks a change in the seasons, and importantly for most of you the official start of the summer. It is often called the longest day of the year as well, as because the Earth spins on an angle this is the point where the Sun is at its highest point in the sky.

In the Pagan calendar tomorrow marks a big change as well. Our days have been getting gradually longer in terms of hours of sunlight since winter, but from Saturday morning they will start getting shorter again. People will still get up early to watch the Sun rise though, as they see this as a time to celebrate it's energy, as well as new life and growth.

Weather-wise the forecast is for some rain, so make sure you are prepared. The sun is due to rise according to the experts at 04.58.

English Heritage and The National Trust, who look after Stonehenge and Avebury, want people to use public transport to get...

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Don't Skip the Summer Solstice at Stonehenge by coldrum on Friday, 20 June 2008
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The longest day of the year is due in the northern hemisphere this weekend, and all earth-lovers, hippies and miscellaneous interested parties are invited to the Summer Solstice bash on Friday night at Stonehenge in England.

If you think that this collection of rocks is the work of the world's first astronomers then you might find some kind of magical occurrence at sunrise. Or you might find a collection of samba bands, a bunch of druids with dreadlocks and a number of police making sure all of the rules--including "no camping"--are enforced.

Summer solstice at Stonehenge is a bit of a hat-tip to the 70s, but we wish we could be there. It's one of the few times you can actually touch the stones, and we love getting our hands dirty.

http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/6/16/92744/5562/travel/Don't+Skip+the+Summer+Solstice+at+Stonehenge
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Re: Sojourn to Stonehenge: summer solstice 2008 by coldrum on Friday, 20 June 2008
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The longest day of the year seems simple in its concept: it is the day with the greatest number of daylight hours between sunrise and sunset. However, it is what those signify for people, and how they use them, that explain why the summer solstice isn’t just a day that’s longer than the rest.

In the UK, the epicentre of the summer solstice celebrations is Stonehenge. With its ancient origins and unknowable functions, the circular collection of manhandled boulders evokes mystery, magic, mythology and so much more. Druids and other groups travel to find a spiritual presence there, while tourists and revellers come from all over the world to see a British landmark.

In this special report, MSN explores the allure of spending the summer solstice in its fantastical surrounds.

http://news.uk.msn.com/summer-solstice-2008.aspx
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Sojourn to Stonehenge: summer solstice 2008 by coldrum on Friday, 20 June 2008
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The summer solstice at Stonehenge is a spiritual experience for some, a fantastic festival for others and undoubtedly one of the most significant celebrations in the UK each year. MSN examines an event that brings people together and provides a touchstone, or a circle of them, for spiritual connection.

Four times a year, the ropes are down and men can stand next to monoliths. English Heritage, the historical society that oversees Stonehenge, will open the stones to the public Saturday for the summer solstice.

"[It’s people] getting together as sort of a democracy of celebration to welcome the summer sunrise," Ronald Hutton, a professor of History at Brixton University and a specialist in modern Paganism said.

For Maurice Bower, a co-founder of the Wight Druids, a group of a few dozen individuals living on England’s Isle of Wight, the solstice, the longest day of the year, is a time of reverence and celebration.

"It's the high point of the year; it's when the day is at...

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Join the summer solstice party by coldrum on Friday, 20 June 2008
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In the early hours of next Saturday morning, weather permitting, a crimson disc will appear over the Heelstone, a mammoth slab positioned at the heart of Stonehenge in perfect alignment with the rising of the sun on the longest day of the year.

Or perhaps only a few shafts of light breaking through cloud or mist will herald the midsummer dawn.

Elsewhere, the solstice will be marked at other stone circles around Britain. Some have their roots in folklore and legend; others are more mainstream family events. Here, we give you a selection...

CASTLERIGG, CUMBRIA

The stones of Castlerigg appear over the brow of a bare Lakeland fell like a ring of wraiths enacting a solemn ritual. About 40 of them - some dwarfs, others 10ft giants - form a silent circle, hung with lichen-like sinister grey beards.

Their extraordinarily precise astronomical alignment still baffles archaeologists. It is a haunting and mysteriously beautiful place, surrounded by green fields and blue fells,...

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Record turnout expected for Stonehenge solstice by coldrum on Friday, 20 June 2008
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Thousands of people were making their way to Stonehenge today for a predicted record turnout at this year's Summer Solstice party.

The solstice annually attracts an eclectic mix - Druids, hippies, sun worshippers and those simply curious to experience dawn breaking at the ancient stone circle on the longest day of the year.

Some dance all night, some relax with an ale or three, while others have been known to frolic naked as the sun edges above the horizon at 4.58am on June 21.

A spokeswoman for English Heritage, which runs the 5,000-year-old site on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, said: "Because this year's solstice falls on a Friday night/Saturday morning, we are expecting more people.

People will not have to take a day off to come this year, which is why we're expecting record numbers.

"We hope there will be up to 25,000 but we will not know until tomorrow.
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Check back for news and photos of summer solstice this weekend.

The weather forecast is not...

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Stonehenge Solstice record turnout expected by coldrum on Friday, 20 June 2008
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Thousands of people are making their way to Stonehenge for a predicted record turnout at this year's Summer Solstice party.
The solstice annually attracts an eclectic mix - Druids, hippies, sun worshippers and those simply curious to experience dawn breaking at the ancient stone circle on the longest day of the year.

Some dance all night, some relax with an ale or thre
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e, while others have been known to frolic naked as the sun edges above the horizon at 4.58am on June 21.

A spokeswoman for English Heritage, which runs the 5,000-year-old site on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, said: "Because this year's solstice falls on a Friday night/Saturday morning, we are expecting more people.

"People will not have to take a day off to come this year, which is why we're expecting record numbers. We hope there will be up to 25,000 but we will not know until tomorrow. The weather forecast is not the best and if it's grey and cloudy, the sunrise is less spectacular."

She...

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Thousands expected for solstice by coldrum on Friday, 20 June 2008
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THE DAWN of the 2008 Summer Solstice approaches with thousands of revellers expected to descend on Wiltshire's sacred stone circle sites.

In 2007, 24,000 people celebrated Summer Solstice at Stonehenge and with this years event falling on a Saturday many more are expected to turn out.

Sunrise will occur at Stonehenge at 4.58am on June 21 on what is the longest day of the year.
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National Heritage is opening Stonehenge to the public from 8pm on Friday June 20 to 8am the following day.

The Solstice car park, just off the A303 near Airman's Cross, will open from 7pm on Friday June 20, with last admission at 6am on Saturday June 21.

Access to the stones and car park will be free of charge.

Peter Carson, the National Heritage's Stonehenge director, said: "Over the last few years, English Heritage has successfully balanced the needs of those attending Solstice with the need to protect the stone circle and its surrounding monuments.

"Providing this balance...

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Increased traffic due to summer solstice on Friday by coldrum on Friday, 20 June 2008
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Traffic on the A303 at Stonehenge is expected to be very busy on Friday 20th and Saturday 21st June during the summer solstice celebrations.

People travelling to Stonehenge are advised to use public transport where possible. There will be a bus service from Salisbury rail station to Stonehenge run by the Wilts & Dorset bus Company throughout the solstice period.

People arriving by car and through traffic on the A303 are advised to allow longer for their journeys.

http://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/mostpopular.var.2345718.mostcommented.increased_traffic_due_to_summer_solstice_on_friday.php
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Sun worshippers head for Stonehenge by coldrum on Friday, 20 June 2008
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THE DAWN of the 2008 Summer Solstice approaches with thousands of revellers expected to descend on Wiltshire's sacred stone circle sites.

In 2007, 24,000 people celebrated Summer Solstice at Stonehenge and with this years event falling on a Saturday many more are expected to turn out.

Sunrise will occur at Stonehenge at 4.58am on June 21 on what is the longest day of the year.

National Heritage is opening Stonehenge to the public from 8pm on Friday June 20 to 8am the following day.

The Solstice car park, just off the A303 near Airman's Cross, will open from 7pm on Friday June 20, with last admission at 6am on Saturday June 21.

Access to the stones and car park will be free of charge.

Peter Carson, the National Heritage's Stonehenge director, said: "Over the last few years, English Heritage has successfully balanced the needs of those attending Solstice with the need to protect the stone circle and its surrounding monuments.

"Providing this balance is maintained,...

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Record turnout expected for Stonehenge Summer Solstice party by coldrum on Friday, 20 June 2008
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Thousands of people were making their way to Stonehenge today for a predicted record turnout at this year's Summer Solstice party.

The solstice annually attracts an eclectic mix - Druids, hippies, sun worshippers and those simply curious to experience dawn breaking at the ancient stone circle on the longest day of the year.

Some dance all night, some relax with an ale or three, while others have been known to frolic naked as the sun edges above the horizon at 4.58am on June 21.

A spokeswoman for English Heritage, which runs the 5,000-year-old site on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, said: "Because this year's solstice falls on a Friday night/Saturday morning, we are expecting more people. People will not have to take a day off to come this year, which is why we're expecting record numbers.

"We hope there will be up to 25,000 but we will not know until tomorrow. The weather forecast is not the best and if it's grey and cloudy, the sunrise is less spectacular."

She said 22,0...

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Thousands due at solstice event by coldrum on Friday, 20 June 2008
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Thousands of people are heading to Stonehenge in Wiltshire for this year's summer solstice party.

Druids, hippies and sun worshippers are among those who gather to watch dawn breaking at the ancient stone circle on 21 June - the longest day of the year.

A spokeswoman for English Heritage, which runs the site on Salisbury Plain, said a record turnout was predicted.

"Because this year's solstice falls on a Friday night/Saturday morning, we are expecting more people," she said.

Overcast and drizzly

"People will not have to take a day off to come this year, which is why we're expecting record numbers.

"We hope there will be up to 25,000 but we will not know until tomorrow."

Weather forecasts for Saturday morning were bleak.


The Summer Solstice is a way of attuning ourselves back into the cycles of nature
Druid Network spokesman
"It's likely to be pretty overcast, and misty and there could well be some drizzle in the air too," said BBC meteorologist Richard...

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Re: Summer Solstice 2008 at Stonehenge by coldrum on Friday, 20 June 2008
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Pupils test Stonehenge theory at summer solstice

Liverpool, UK - 21 May 2008: Archaeologists at the University of Liverpool are investigating whether Stonehenge could have been designed using no more than simple numeracy, a piece of rope and the sun's shadow.

The complex design of Stonehenge - erected in Wiltshire nearly 5,000 years ago - has mystified archaeologists, engineers and astronomers for years and researchers are still unclear as to how such a structure could have been built by a preliterate culture.

Archaeologists at the University, together with pupils from Northcote Primary School in Walton, will test the theory and attempt to mark out the extant ground plan of Stonehenge, demonstrating how it can be achieved with just lengths of rope, the sun’s shadow and the simplest form of numeracy – finger counting. The team will follow the principle of Occam’s Razor – the notion that the simpler the theorised process, the more likely it is to be correct.

John Hill, a...

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Re: Summer Solstice 2008 at Stonehenge by Anonymous on Friday, 20 June 2008
Hi,

I dont finish work until 5 and wouldnt be able to get there until at least 8???

Could I not get in then??

Kind regards,


Natalie Collett
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    Re: Summer Solstice 2008 at Stonehenge by Anonymous on Friday, 20 June 2008
    hope you get a reply cos i in derby and not set of yet, but sayin that think i will go arbar low in the peaks not so many people but should be good..hope you have a good time..

    Mark
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Re: Summer Solstice 2008 at Stonehenge by Anonymous on Wednesday, 18 June 2008
can i ask,,can you sit at the stones on the 20th,i have a camper and thinkin of parkin in the laybay at the side for the nite...may still go if i cant but would be nice to be there on the solstice(20th).....is any one eles goin to be there on [email protected]
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Disabled Access by Andy B on Tuesday, 17 June 2008
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A message someone sent me:

If someone else inquires about Disabled Access; tell them that at the bottom; show the badge to the officials, then they will organise the trip to the top on a taxi paid by them.
Cheers.

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Re: Summer Solstice 2008 at Stonehenge by davidmorgan on Sunday, 15 June 2008
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The solstice might not be the longest day, here's a calculator:
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/RS_OneYear.php
I guess the reason is something to do with aphelion not coinciding with the solstice.
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    Re: Summer Solstice 2008 at Stonehenge by Anonymous on Tuesday, 17 June 2008
    Try googling "the equation of time" and then spend 20 years studying astronomy, physics and maths to truly understand it!
    Basically noon can be up to 16 mins either side of the sun being at it's highest (closest daylight moment of year at Summer Solstice - June 20th 2008 23.59 Universal Time (GMT)).
    This year the 20th June is nearly 1 min longer than the 21st and even less longer than the 19th (about 3 secs of twilight time).
    Our ancestors would certainly have been able to calculate the precise day of Solstice. Too many calculators and not enough looking at the sky.

    I. Newton
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    Re: Summer Solstice 2008 at Stonehenge by davidmorgan on Friday, 20 June 2008
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    LOL, "20 years studying" - unnecessary to understand the concept of Kepler's laws, Anon.
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Re: Summer Solstice 2008 at Stonehenge by Anonymous on Tuesday, 10 June 2008
great!!
if i may impose here for a second....
my transport ideas for this solstice have faileed, will be trying to get from blackburn to the stones with a douboe bass!1 can ANY)ONE help? will mean a van truck or camper, it is only a 3/4 size double bass, but is still a clumsy great thing...

email <a href="mailto:[email protected]" target="_new">[email protected]</a>
thank you any one so kindly!!! drummer paul
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Re: Summer Solstice 2008 at Stonehenge by Anonymous on Friday, 06 June 2008
getting stoned should only be done as a sacrement on such a day! respecctfully, and in moderation, so that all have a good day and no one gets bugged out, or have there exp-erience sullied! responsible discrete, is my sugesstion, we wanna let this go on for years, and for ever.... dont want it all screwed up by stone crawlers...
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Re: Summer Solstice 2008 at Stonehenge by Anonymous on Thursday, 05 June 2008
I agree - stop climbing on the stones!!
English Heritage have just explained that if the Solstice happens after sunset then they open it for the next day's sunrise. They also tried the BST versus GMT argument. On both counts I feel that they are wrong. I shall celebrate the sunrise on the 20th (the Solstice)

Have a good one folks
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Re: Summer Solstice 2008 at Stonehenge by Anonymous on Wednesday, 04 June 2008
yes, I agree that the stones need protection from all the idiots too. I attended in 2004 from USA just to take in the atmosphere and the mystic surrounding the stones. I have great respect for the stones and all they represent. But then there were some that were there to just party and get high. They were all over the stones likes ant at a picnic. Disgusting. I pray that the crowd should police their own ranks and prevent this in the future. Just like our ancestors, we must respect our past to preserve it for the future. What if our ancestors treated the site then like we are doing now, the stones would no longer be in existence for those that abuse them. Please, please EH stop this before too late. I would like to return someday to give my respect again but not be pushed out by those that just want to be there to get drunk and smoke pot. What a lame excuse for them
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Re: Summer Solstice 2008 at Stonehenge by Anonymous on Thursday, 29 May 2008
If you are planning to go to Stonehenge for the solstice then please please please don't climb on the stones - it kills the lichen (that have protected the stones from frost damage for 3500 years), erodes the stones and shows a deep disrespect for the stones themselves and the rightful worshippers. Some of the attendees will find it genuinely distressing to see people clambering on top of the megaliths. Some of us feel the pain. I would like to think that all people on this site would understand this but it is worth asking . . .

If anyone from English Heritage reads this then please stop people damaging this magnificent Ur temple - we pay you a fortune to protect the site and it doesn't feel like you are doing it very well at the moment . . .

Thanks and a happy solstice
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Re: Summer Solstice 2008 at Stonehenge by Anonymous on Wednesday, 28 May 2008
Oops! Sorry, didn't see anon's earlier comment. He or she is right though.
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Re: Summer Solstice 2008 at Stonehenge by Anonymous on Wednesday, 28 May 2008
Technically the solstice occurs at one minute to midnight on the 20th this year. Is anyone concerned about the date discrepancy?
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    Re: Summer Solstice 2008 at Stonehenge by Anonymous on Thursday, 29 May 2008
    I'm incredibly bothered - the longest day is the longest day - not even English Heritage can change that. The cycle must continue in harmony with the sun as it has done for at least 3,500 years. I have pointed out this gross error to Eng Her but I am awaiting a reply. Will let you know what they say.
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    Re: Summer Solstice 2008 at Stonehenge by Anonymous on Tuesday, 15 July 2008
    English Heritage don't care when the solstice actually occurs, they want people to be at stonehenge on the 21st regardless. In the documentary about The National Trust that was made a few years ago the NT, EH and people who have campained for open access at stonehenge debated this issue and EH stated that the 21st is the only acceptable day because they are concerned that one day of open access will turn into two because people will turn up not only on the actual solstice but on the 21st as well because that's the day that those who are not in the know, which is the vast majority, think the solstice always falls on. I would prefer the real solstice but I can see their predicament.
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    Re: Summer Solstice 2008 at Stonehenge by Anonymous on Wednesday, 16 July 2008
    Splitting hairs here aren't we? June 21st is the calendar 'longest day' adjusted to coincide as closely as possible with the summer solstice which (if we are being pedantic) is not actually the day on which the sun rises the earliest and sets the latest. None of this is of any significance to Stonehenge which is NOT aligned on the summer solstice, never was and never will be! Take a look at the Stonehenge Postcard and you will see (I think it is the 4th clip) how the axis is way off the position of the summer solstice sunrise.
    [ Reply to This ]

Re: by Anonymous on Tuesday, 27 May 2008
Another chance for people to be in the right place at the wrong time. The moment of Solstice this year is 23.59 on the 20th therefore the 20th is the longest day. The sunrise on the 20th is the magical moment - not the 21st. As I don't go anywhere near Stonehenge for the Summer Solstice (as it is almost completely full of drunken idiots damaging the stones - a complete contrast to the Equinoxes that I will attend for the rest of my life) - I am not going to talk to English Heritage to tell them the error of their ways - I shall leave that for someone else to sort out. My guess is that most visitors do not really understand the implications and that they will happily squeeze in on the 21st. Knowledge is everything . . .
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    Re: by Anonymous on Wednesday, 04 June 2008
    Most people dont bother to check things out. Nevermind work things out. Its all about the herd!!!!!
    Like you I dont go anywhere near Stongehenge at the solstice, preferring to experience the magical moment of the sunrise, at a place that means something to me.
    Litha Blessing for the 20th
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      Re: by Anonymous on Tuesday, 17 June 2008
      Litha blessing in return.
      I shall also be at a special little glade with my closest friends urging Ra to his crescendo via the medium of djembé.
      This season I shall mostly be wearing green.

      Have a perfect solstical moment.
      May it last forever.
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    Re: by Anonymous on Tuesday, 10 June 2008
    aw give over!! well u go enjoy that day and leave everyon e else to be free to celebrate in there OWN way in theirOWN culture in their OWN time, you go join the church
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Re: by Anonymous on Monday, 26 May 2008
Great! Another chance to get whammo'd and climb all over the rocks at sunrise!
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    Re: by Anonymous on Thursday, 29 May 2008
    Please please please don't climb on the stones - it is genuinely distressing for a lot of the attendees and also it damages the frost protecting lichen and erodes the stones themselves.
    [ Reply to This ]

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