MEDIA REPORTS    SUMMER SOLSTICE 2006    ...Back to Home Page
                                                  

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The week in pictures

A reveller stands on one of the stones as he watches the sun rise behind Stonehenge on the day of the summer solstice. (REUTERS)                     PIC1

Wiltshire Times    Friday June 23 2006

Spirits not dampened at Solstice

UP TO 17,000 people gathered at Stonehenge on Wednesday morning for the Summer Solstice celebrations.
However the unsettled weather ensured numbers stayed well below the 20,000 expected to attend the annual revelry at the ancient stone circle on Salisbury Plain. Every year people flock to the 5,000-year-old site for an all-night party, culminating in sunrise at 4.58am on the longest day of the year.
Druids, hippies and hedonists are among the regulars. This year rain dogged the outdoor revelry overnight, with an hour-long downpour between 2am and 3am. Although the rain had stopped by dawn, this year's sunrise was cloudy, unlike the strikingly clear spectacle witnessed last year.
A Wiltshire Police spokeswoman said around 17,000 people attended Stonehenge and officers made four arrests overnight, two for drunk and disorderly and two for minor public order offences. "All in all it was quite a quiet night," she said.

Despite the rain, 17,000 people gathered at Stonehenge to celebrate the Summer Solstice and watch the sun rise               PIC1

Summer solstice: The birthday of the night and Stonehenge
Translated by Guerman Grachev

June 21 is the year’s longest daytime day in the Northern Hemisphere. And its night is the shortest night of the year. The daytime lasts for more than 16 hours in the mean latitudes; the sun never sets behind the polar circle. A popular term for the shortest night of the year is a 'sparrow’s night.' The night will start growing longer on the following day. The point of sunrise and the point of sunset stop moving at the moment of solstice. The daytime lasts 17hours 36 minutes at the latitude of Moscow, while the astronomical dusk seems to stay on forever. The remarkable phenomenon enables the dwellers of central and northern parts of Russia to do without artificial lighting for nearly 24 hours. Yet the circumstance is rather unfortunate in terms of night observations because the astronomical dusk does not fade to black. The picture looks the opposite way in the Southern Hemisphere. It’s a day of the shortest daytime and the longest night.
The day of summer solstice is an extremely important day for astronomers and geographers. It is the most favorable day for observing the silvery clouds that are seen against the twilight segment. The sun actually never sets in areas located above 66.5 degrees latitude, the daytime lasts around the clock at the time of summer solstice. The sun moves across the sky at a constant altitude all through the day on the North Pole. On June 21 the sun crosses the 6-hour meridian and starts sliding down the ecliptic. It begins a journey to autumn equinox, when it will cross the earth’s equator.
Year in and year out hordes of tourists arrive in Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, England, as the day of summer solstice draws nearer. Tourists arrive in that place to spend the most mystical night near Stonehenge, a prehistoric monument. The Druids are thought to have performed strange rites in the vicinity of Stonehenge. Their rites were somehow associated with the periods of equinox, with summer solstice playing a crucial role. Some scientists maintain that the Druids regarded the day of solstice a special day for it was the time when a 'tide of energy' would come over the planet and feed the people for the next year. Other scientists believe the old stones have medicinal properties.
Both astronomers and astrologists agree that during the time of summer solstice Earth will position itself with respect to the Sun in such a way that sunbeams in the Northern Hemisphere will fall over Tropic of Cancer in a vertical way and reach the bottom of the deepest wells. Some very old mysteries will be undone as a result. On the other hand, doctors do not believe the day of summer solstice stands out among other days of summer. Speaking to Strana.ru, pediatrician Elena Skvortsova said that no specific pieces of advice were extended to patients or healthy individuals during the time of summer solstice. The length of daytime and nighttime has, without doubt, a certain impact of the way a person feels during a particular period. However, the maximum stay of the sun over the horizon has no impact whatsoever on a person’s mental or physical health because each day the daytime has grown a few minutes longer. Speaking of a healthy individual, we’re not aware of any noticeable detrimental consequences, which may be caused to him by that pretty regular daylight-saving time procedure when we set the clocks one hour ahead or behind of standard time twice a year. As for a patient, it’s a different story. Every disease has its symptoms, says Dr. Skvortsova.

Stonehenge:           PIC1

Dash24.com     Friday   June 23 2006  

Council to deliver verdict on Stonehenge visitor centre
Publisher: Ian Morgan

Salisbury District Council will soon deliver its verdict on plans to develop a new visitor centre for Stonehenge.
Consultation has now been completed on English Heritage's re-submitted plans and a final decision will be made by the council on July 10.
When Salisbury District Council received the original planning application in September 2004, more than 1,000 comments were received from members of the public.
And since the application was re-submitted this April a further 77 comments have been received.
A report, which contains an officer recommendation to approve the planning application subject to /legal agreements and referral to the Secretary of State, will be made available to the public on Tuesday (June 27).
Salisbury District Council's portfolio holder for Planning and Economic Development, Cllr Margaret Peach, said: "I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has got involved in this very thorough consultation process over the last couple of years.
"It is now up to my fellow councillors to examine the evidence and come to their decision."
The six main topics to be discussed:
The proposed location of the Visitor Centre. Traffic issues. The land train. Landscape character and planning policy. Environmental, archaeological and ecological impact. Other issues, including tourism.

The Times    Thurs  June 22  2006  p31

Rain dampens longest day

A reveller greets the sunrise on the longest day at Stonehenge. But rain dampened the summer solstice celebrations. About 17,D00 people gathered for an all-night party, far fewer than the 20,000 expected. In the past people have cavorted naked. but this year it was subdued, possibly because of a downpour between 2am and 3am. The rain had stopped by dawn, but the sunrise was cloudy. Wiltshire police made four arrests. "It was quite a guiet night," a spokeswoman said.

A reveller greets the sunrise on the longest day at Stonehenge.         PIC1
william wintercross/national pictures

Salisbury Journal   Thurs  June 22  2006   p6

Wet weather does not deter revellers at summer solstice

WET weather forecasted for Tuesday night did not deter an estimated 17,000 people who turned out yesterday morning to celebrate the summer solstice at Stonehenge.
Despite the sun remaining a rosy coloured glow behind the grey clouds, there were still a few cheers at 0458 BST, with the sun finally breaking through minutes later for the dawning of the longest day.
Once again, English Heritage allowed public access to the 5,000-year-old stone circle and was rewarded with a peaceful crowd.
Many revellers had been partying all night in the stone circle and watched the sunrise to the sounds of chanting, drumbeat and the jangling of Morris dancers' bells.
Rollo Maughfling, Arch Druid of Stonehenge and Britain, called for world peace and a future for green' energy at his annual gathering at the Heel Stone, declaring: "We have looked after Stonehenge for 5,000 years and must put renewable sources of energy such as wind, sun and wave to the forefront in our lifetime for the future of the planet."
Self-proclaimed Druid King Arthur Pendragon engaged the Stonehenge choir consisting of druids, hedonists and solstice-goers, to join in the chorus renewing the Druids' vow and blessing Stonehenge.
Though numbers were down, David Batchelor, English Heritage archaeologist for Stonehenge said: "The weather has not been too kind, but most people have enjoyed being here and will go away happy."
Wiltshire police reported only four arrests, two for drunk and disorderly offences and two for minor public disturbances.

Solstice at Stonehenge (p1)         PIC1
The summer solstice celebration at Stonehenge. DB0512P2       PIC2
Mano Desile and his glass globe reflect on the summer solstice. DB0512P16         PIC3
Druids Mark Graham and Michelle Axe greet the sunrise. DB0512P5           PIC4
Paul Roach, Heather Osborne and Claudia Broones, at the solstice celebration.       PIC5
DB0512P9            Pictures by Tom Gregory

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PM enters Stonehenge debate
 By David Vallis

PRIME Minister Tony Blair entered the Stonehenge road improvements debate this week by stating his government fully recognises the importance of finding a practical way forward in solving the traffic problems besetting the monument and surrounding area.
He said the government also recognised the unique importance of the World Heritage site, as well as the wider economic impact on the south-west.
The Prime Minister was replying to a letter from Salisbury MP Robert Key, in which he was asked for his personal assistance in bringing the Stonehenge A303 road saga to an end.
Mr Key said he believed the tunnel option for the A303 one of five road scheme options currently on the table could be financed through the new national tolling system, announced by the secretary for state for transport, Douglas Alexander.
The scheme would not see toll booths on the road, but all drivers' journeys would be tracked and charged accordingly.
Mr Key said he believed a tunnel currently price-tagged at £510m could be funded by a pilot of this idea.
Replying in writing to Mr Key, the Prime Minister told him that a report and detailed assessment of the latest review of options and public consultation would be going to roads' minister Stephen Ladyman during the course of this summer.
He said the possibility of the bored-tunnel option being funded by tolling had been considered by a review in January this year.
But the review concluded that tolling of the sort used on the M6 toll road was unlikely to be suitable, as there would be considerable environmental and archaeological constraints on finding a suitable location for constructing a toll plaza, and traffic would divert from the A303 onto less satisfactory roads.
The same problems would not necessarily apply if there were an open road toll, under which charges were collected electronically or paid by other means.
The electronic option would require large numbers of vehicles to be fitted with the right equipment, and the review had concluded this would not be feasible, owing to the high number of occasional users (including foreign vehicles) on the A303.
Mr Blair said that, while the government was committed to taking forward the debate on national road pricing, implementation was still some years away.
Mr Key told the Journal that he had taken the issue to the heart of government and Mr Blair had acknowledged the importance of a decision on the A303 "to our local communities, for the south-west and our country."
He added: "After so many years of dithering and, whatever our views on the future of the stones and the road, now we'll see if they will bite the bullet or send it back to the too difficult' cupboard."

The Daily Telegraph   Thurs   June 22  2006  p7

Here comes the sun   

Police estimated that about 17,000 people congregated on Salisbury Plain to watch the sun rise at 04.58 despite cloudy conditions. Kate Higgins, 32, a spritual healer from Glastonbury, Somerset, said: "It was beautiful as always. It was a wonderfully spiritual occasion."

A reveller dancing on the ancient stones welcomes the rising sun as thousands gathered at Stonehenge in Wiltshire yesterday to celebrate the summer solstice.          PIC1
Picture: Roy Kilcullen

The Guardian    Thurs  June 22   2006     p8

Ring Cycle

Crowds at Stonehenge, Wiltshire, celebrate the summer solstice      PIC1

p6
Don't go there!   

The new Rough Guide to Britain warns that Buckingham Palace is 'bland' and an 'anti-climax'. But it's not the only tourist attraction that fails to live up to the hype. Here 12 Guardian writers pick their least favourite days out
Stonehenge, Wiltshire
The main problem is that they made it too small. "Bloody hell, is that it?" said my travelling companion recently, as we drove along the A303. "It's like a miniature model of Stonehenge."
Pyramids, temples, famous people, they're always disappointingly small, but Stonehenge is especially so, I think, because of pictures in schoolbooks of hairy dudes hauling massive rocks along on tree-trunk rollers.
The problem used to be surmountable, because wandering among the stones, they did indeed seem massive. And there was a magic about the place - you could touch the same cold stone the hairy dudes touched more than 5,000 years ago, admire the beautiful lichen, feel the power. Not any more though, unless you're a druid, an official modern-day hairy dude.
I know it's for all the right reasons that visitors aren't allowed among the stones, but looking at it from behind a fence, with a bunch of scary-looking guards making sure you don't make a run for it, is not the same. It's the difference between seeing an animal in the wild and an animal at the zoo.
Oh, and the noise of all that traffic doesn't really help either.          PIC2
Sam Wollaston

Daily Mirror    Thurs   June 22  2006   p2

SOGGY PARTY FOR SOLSTICE   

REVELLERS had to party through the rain during the celebrations for the summer solstice yesterday. Around 17,000 people, many of them hippies and druids were at Stonehenge, Wilts, for the dawn of the longest day of the year at 4.58am. But one said the sunrise was "spectacularly unspectacular".                                 PIC1

Daily Express     Thurs  22 Jun  2006    p35

Ten things you never knew about ... the Sun  
 WILLIAM HARSTON

Yesterday was the summer solstice - the longest day of the year - so from today, the days are getting shorter. It's all because of our orbit round the Sun.
1 The Earth's equator is tilted at about 23° to the plane of its orbit round the Sun. At this time of year, the noithern hemisphere tilts towards the Sun, which is why it's summer.
2 The Sun accounts for 99.87 per cent of the mass of the entire solar system.
3. The Sun King, Louis XIV of France, was born in 1638 wlth two teeth.
4. The currency of Peru is the new sol, a modern relic of the Sun worship of the ancient Incas.
5. Light from the Sun takes 500 seconds to reach us.
6. According to a survey by NPower, 32 per cent of people using solar panels are 65 or over and 65 per cent of solar panel users live in a detached house.
7. Every second, about 700 million tons of hydrogen is converted to helium in nuclear reactions in the Sun.
8. The Sun is 93,000,000 miles away, which means if you drove a car at a constant speed of 70mph, it would take 151 years and eight inonths to reach the Sun.
9. The diameter of the Sun is 870,000 miles. Its volume is enough to hoid over a million Earths.
10. The Sun is thought to be about 4.5 billion years old and is expected to continue burning for about another five billion years.

The Daily Record     Thurs  June  22  2006

HIPPIE DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN   

ABOUT 17,000 people gathered at Stonehenge yesterday morning for the Summer Solstice celebrations.
Despite heavy rain, druids, hippies and hedonists partied through the night at the ancient stone circle on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire.
And when the sun rose on the longest day at 04.58am, the party continued.
Police made four arrests overnight, two for drunk and disorderly and two for minor public order offences.
Yesterday was the rainiest June day in Scotland on record.
Four inches fell during the day - breaking a record set in 1919 - as winds of 70mph hit the country.

Western Daily Press     Thurs  June 22  2006   p20

SUN ARISE EARLY IN THE MORNING AND 17,000 GO TO SEE IT  
 BY TRISTAN CORK AND JULIA BARTHOLOMEW

They got wet, they partied and they cheered the first glimpse of the sun on the longest day of the year. The summer solstice was met by a rather bedraggled crowd of 17,000 at Stonehenge and thousands more at Avebury and other Neolithic sites in Wiltshire yesterday, with the authorities celebrating a quiet and peaceful event. Only four arrests were made at Stonehenge, for minor offences, and the midweek night, the windy and wet weather and the England match affected numbers, which usually top 20,000.
It was, one reveller said, "spectacularly unspectacular" as an overcast sky got imperceptibly brighter at two minutes to five - the moment the sun was supposed to rise and shine through the sacred and ancient stones.
Druids and witches in long white robes conducted their ceremonies, while Hare Krishnas circled the stones in time to the beating of dozens of drums inside the circle.
It is the only time of year visitors are allowed to get up close to the stones, but English Heritage stewards and police clamp down quickly on any reveller getting carried away and attempting to climb on to the 5,000- year-old monument.
Reveller Kevin Stellern said: "The stones are fantastic and the energy is fantastic. This is a really special place, although some people don't respect that."
A police spokeswoman said: "All in all it was a quite a quiet night. Not a massive turnout and fairly subdued in atmosphere, even when the sun came up. Normally a lot of people cheer and shout but today was peaceful."
Twenty miles north at Avebury - an even larger and older stone circle than the world-famous monument of Stonehenge - several thousand people stayed up to watch the sunrise, and then continued the party throughout the day waiting for last night's sunset.
Villagers have endured years of traffic chaos, anti-social behaviour and disruption in the past, but a concerted effort by the National Trust, police and villagers to tackle the problems appears to be bearing fruit.
Villagers are bracing themselves again for a follow-up day of pagan ceremonies, with hundreds of people expected on Saturday.

CELEBRATING THE WONDERS OF OUR EARTH

Thousands of Druids and pagans gathered at Stonehenge yesterday to mark the summer solstice sunrise, a celebration which moves us all. Here, the leader of the Order of Bards Ovates and Druids, PHILIP CARR-GOMM, explains how it is a part of our spiritual heritage which has never gone away:
The importance of Midsummer's Day to our ancestors can be traced back many thousands of years and many stone circles and other ancient monuments are aligned to the sunrise on June 21. Probably the most famous alignment is that at Stonehenge, where the sun rises over the Heel Stone, framed by the giant trilithons on Midsummer morning. In antiquity, midsummer fires were lit in high places all over the countryside and, in some areas of Scotland, Midsummer fires were still being lit well into the 18th century.
It was a time when the domestic beasts of the land were blessed with fire, generally by walking them around the fire in a sun-wise direction.
It was also customary for people to jump high through the fires, folklore suggesting that the height reached by the most athletic jumper would be the height of that year's harvest.
After Christianity became adopted in Britain, taking in many pagan festivals and practices, the festival became known as St John's Day and was still celebrated as an important day in the church calendar, the birthday of St John the Baptist.
Traditionally, St John's Eve, like the eve of many festivals, was seen as a time when the veil between this world and the next was thin, and when powerful forces were abroad.
Indeed, St John's Eve was a time when fairies were thought to be abroad and at their most powerful - hence Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.
St John's wort was traditionally gathered on this day, thought to be imbued with the power of the sun. Other special flowers, such as vervain, trefoil, rue and roses were also thought to be most potent at this time, and were traditionally placed under a pillow in the hope of important dreams, especially dreams about future lovers.
The festival is still important to pagans today, including modern-day Druids who celebrate the solstice at Stonehenge in Wiltshire. For us, the light of the sun on Midsummer's Day signifies the sacred Awen.
AT the heart of Druidism lies a love of nature and of her changing faces as the seasons turn. Eight times a year, once every six weeks or so, Druids participate in a celebration that expresses this love.
These seasonal festivals can be large public events with hundreds of adults and children gathering at sacred sites, such as Stonehenge, Avebury, or Glastonbury. At the other extreme, they can be very private events celebrated by a single Druid in a garden or living room, or a small group of Druids and friends gathered together in a park or garden.
These eight seasonal festivals consist of the solstices and equinoxes - four moments during the year which are dictated by the relationship between the Earth and the Sun - and the four "cross-quarter" festivals which are related to the traditional pastoral calendar and farming practices begun in western Europe thousands of years ago: lambing in early February, bringing the cattle out to pasture in early May, the start of the harvest at the beginning of August, and the preparations for winter at the end of October.
Druids observe this eightfold cycle of festivals by meeting together, or celebrating on their own. Sometimes the celebration will be informal - a picnic with friends, or a party during which someone will speak about the time of year and its significance, with perhaps storytelling, music or poetry.
At other times, the celebration will be formal. When the Order of Bards Ovates and Druids celebrates the summer solstice at Stonehenge, for example, we are all robed and enact a formal ceremony among the stones.
But when we are on Glastonbury Tor, we try to combine a formal ritual with informal elements: several hundred adults and children, and often a few dogs, will gather together in a circle.
Some people will be wearing robes of different colour and design, others will be dressed in everyday clothes. A circle will be cast by children scattering petals or blowing bubbles, and a fire- eater will bless the circle with fire, while the circle is also blessed by someone sprinkling everyone with water from Chalice Well.
The ritual itself is formal, in the sense that it has been prepared in advance and includes traditional elements, but the ambience is informal and joyful.
Often these Druid festivals include a central section called by the Welsh word "eisteddfod", which means literally "a festival of sitting", but which is really a time for the expression of creativity by anyone in the circle. Although certain participants may guide the festival, and have various roles within it (such as casting or blessing the circle) no-one is acting as a priest or priestess, in the sense of being an intermediary between the other participants and deity.
The purpose of celebrating the eight seasonal festivals is to create a pattern or rhythm in our year that allows for a few hours' pause every six weeks or so in our busy and often stressful routine so that we can open to the magic of being alive on this Earth at a special time.
IT gives us a chance to fully enter the moment, to connect with the life of the Earth and the land around us, and to feel the influence of the season in our bodies, hearts and minds.
If we celebrate on our own, it is a time when we can enter into meditation, perhaps reviewing our life since the time of the last festival, thinking forward to the next one, then returning to open ourselves fully to the here and now, soaking in the energies of earth and sky and the trees and plants around us, and radiating our love and blessings to the Earth and all beings.

Marlborough Gazette & Herald        Thurs  June 22  2006  

Stars of solstice   

WILTSHIRE police's decision to monitor this year's summer solstice celebrations in Avebury on push bikes has met with all-round approval from villagers and visitors.
Officers Andy Sexton and Simon McLaren-Clark carried out patrols on bikes and, in almost every case, a polite word from them had offending motorists moved on to the extra parking area set up by the National Trust.
Gordon Rimes, the pagan priest who officiated at the sunrise ceremony yesterday, said: "I thought it was very well policed, very sensitive and good natured."

ON A ROLL: Policemen Andy Sexton and Simon McLaren-Clark patrol the solstice
celebrations around the Avebury stones by bike  (19816/5/NW)           PIC1

Daily Echo, Dorset       Thurs   June 22  2006   p16

MP backs Stonehenge tunnel bid
By Paula Roberts

A NORTH Dorset MP has lent his support to the RAC campaign to persuade the government to go forward with the stalled tunnel project which is desperately needed at Stonehenge.
Robert Walter says travel to the North Dorset area has become increasingly difficult as the traffic builds up around the attraction, especially for the Summer Solstice.
Some 20,000 visitors were expected to make the Solstice pilgrimage on June 21 and many of them drove down the A303 to park in the special Solstice car park.
The RAC Foundation is calling on the government to announce an end to what some have called the longest consultation in history.
Plans to take the A303 away from the stones and improve the setting of the iconic monument have been under discussion and debate since 1991.
The foundation says improvements are essential to tackle congestion, protect the environment and the archaeological evidence as the A303 is just 200 metres from the stones and help business and tourist destinations in the south west.
Mr Walter and the RAC Foundation believe that only the deep-bore tunnel route, which was agreed by a public inquiry in 2005, meets the needs of the environment, the need for swift and safe road transport to the south west and the needs of the site. The tunnel would remove the A303 from sight and earshot of the stones, and allow the closure of the A344.
Mr Walter said: "It is clear that the deep-bore tunnel is the only option which meets the needs of this complex World Heritage Site.
"Without it North Dorset residents travelling east will continue to suffer the misery of summer traffic queues.
"To do nothing is to condemn the stones to another 15 years of uncertainty. The government must stop burying the issue in debate, and start burying the road in the chalk."
The published scheme, including a 2.1km tunnel, is also supported by English Heritage, the Society of Antiquaries and the RSPB.
The RAC Foundation has launched an online petition for people to sign calling for urgent action from the government - www.racfoundation.org/trafficfreestonehenge

PILGRIMAGE:
Hundreds gather for the Summer Solstice at Stonehenge each year.      PIC1  

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Where in the World?  Answer in tomorrow's Echo.      PIC2

The Sun online    Weds  June 21  2006

17,000 watch Solstice
By CORINNE ABRAMS

AROUND 17,000 people gathered at Stonehenge early today for the Summer Solstice celebrations.
Revellers flock to the 5,000-year-old site every year for an all-night party.
Forecasts of rain meant visitor numbers stayed below the 20,000 expected at the ancient stone circle on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire.
The party culminates in sunrise at 04.58 on the longest day of the year.
As predicted, rain dogged the outdoor revelry overnight, with an hour-long downpour between 2am and 3am.
Although the rain had stopped by dawn, this year’s sunrise was cloudy, unlike the strikingly clear spectacle witnessed last year.
One reveller said: "Today’s sunrise was spectacularly unspectacular."
A Wiltshire Police spokeswoman said around 17,000 people attended Stonehenge and officers made four arrests overnight, two for drunk and disorderly and two for minor public order offences.
"All in all it was quite a quiet night," she said.
"Not a massive turn-out and fairly subdued in atmosphere, even when the sun came up. Normally a lot of people cheer and shout but today was peaceful."

Sun-thing happening ... gathering this morning          PIC1

SUBDUED SUMMER SOLSTICE CELEBRATIONS

THE annual celebration of the summer solstice has taken place at Stonehenge, with a lower turn out than expected.
Police expected 20,000 revellers to gather at the ancient site on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, but hampered by poor weather conditions, only around 17,000 turned up.
Several downpours dampened spirits during the traditional overnight party and a Wiltshire Police spokeswoman said it had been a peaceful night with only four arrests.
"All in all it was quite a quiet night," she said.
"Not a massive turn-out and fairly subdued in atmosphere, even when the sun came up."
Many hippies and druids attend the party each year and wait for the sun to come up on the longest day of the year over the Heel Stone, when strange visions are said to occur.
However, although the rain had ceased by this year's sunrise at 4.58am, cloud still hampered views of the spectacle.

BBC News     Weds  June  21  2006    

Peaceful start to summer solstice   

Celebrations to mark the summer solstice at Stonehenge in Wiltshire have passed off peacefully with only four arrests. Police estimate around 17,000 people watched the sun rise at 0458 BST on Wednesday despite cloudy conditions.
English Heritage allows the public access to the 5,000-year-old stone circle for the annual event.
Drum-beating and chanting turned to cheering as the sun broke through the clouds shortly after 0500 BST.
Heavy overnight rain ensured numbers stayed well below the 20,000 expected to attend the annual revelry at the ancient stone circle on Salisbury Plain.
Although the rain had stopped by dawn this year's sunrise was cloudy, unlike the strikingly clear spectacle witnessed last year.
One reveller said: "Today's sunrise was spectacularly unspectacular."
Every year people flock to the 5,000-year-old site for an all-night party culminating in sunrise on the longest day of the year.
A Wiltshire Police spokeswoman said officers made four arrests overnight, two for drunk and disorderly and two for minor public order offences.
"All in all it was quite a quiet night," she said.
"Not a massive turn-out and fairly subdued in atmosphere, even when the sun came up."
Police were urging drivers to take extra care around Stonehenge, Amesbury and Salisbury because of the large number of pedestrians.
Around 1,000 people are also reported to have gathered at the nearby Avebury stone circles to celebrate the solstice.

Many people arrived on Tuesday and spent the night partying.           PIC1   
The sun had to work hard to break through the early-morning cloud.            PIC2  
Gary Bray travelled from Bristol to take some pictures of the sunrise
but was disappointed with the weather.                                                PIC3  
One reveller described the sunrise as "spectacularly unspectacular".               PIC4  
Overnight rain was blamed for a smaller turnout than previous years.   PIC5 
Paul McQuillan from Coombe Bissett, Wiltshire, who took this picture,
was among revellers at the stones on Wednesday                                             PIC6             
Simon Banton, from Figheldean, Wiltshire, took this photo looking over
the Heel stone. He said: "Boy was it wet there this year."                         PIC7

CBBC Children's Newsround     Weds  June 21   2006

Stonehenge party for longest day   

Thousands of revellers have gathered at the ancient site of Stonehenge to celebrate the longest day of the year. Around 17,000 people were at the 5,000-year-old stone circle in Wiltshire to watch dawn break just before 5am on Wednesday.
An hour-long downpour of rain failed to dampen the spirits of those who waited all night to watch the sun appear over the Heel Stone at the circle.
Police said the night had passed peacefully, with just four arrests.
Celebrations were held through the night, with drums being played and dancing around the stones.
The purpose of Stonehenge has puzzled historians for centuries, but some think it was a temple to the sun.
In 1985, there was a huge disturbance at the event that ended with 12 people having to go to hospital.

The sun broke through the clouds in what is seen as a very
mystically important day                                                                 PIC3
The stones at Stonehenge have been there for thousands of years.
No-one knows exactly what they are for...                                        PIC4
... although some people think they are an ancient calendar.
This lady takes a well-earned rest between the stones.                       PIC5

Thousands see Stonehenge sunrise   

Summer Solstice revellers flocked in their thousands to Stonehenge for the annual longest day celebrations.
But unsettled weather ensured numbers stayed well below the 20,000 expected to attend the annual revelry at the ancient stone circle on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire.
Every year people flock to the 5,000-year-old site for an all-night party culminating in sunrise at 04.58 on the longest day of the year. Druids, hippies and hedonists are among the regulars.
As predicted, rain dogged the outdoor revelry overnight, with an hour-long downpour between 2am and 3am. Although the rain had stopped by dawn, this year's sunrise was cloudy, unlike the strikingly clear spectacle witnessed last year.
One reveller said: "Today's sunrise was spectacularly unspectacular."
A Wiltshire Police spokeswoman said around 17,000 people attended Stonehenge and officers made four arrests overnight, two for drunk and disorderly and two for minor public order offences.
"All in all it was quite a quiet night," she said.
"Not a massive turn-out and fairly subdued in atmosphere, even when the sun came up. Normally a lot of people cheer and shout but today was peaceful."

(Picture: Reuters)         PIC1

Sky News  online    Weds  June 21   2006

Hippies Have A Quiet Start To Summer   

Around 17,000 sun worshippers have been celebrating the Summer Solstice at Stonehenge. But this year's all-night party at the ancient stone circle on Salisbury Plain was not as raucous as previous years. Even by the peak of the party at sunrise the crowd was still fully clothed - bare bums have often marked the longest day of the year at Stonehenge, but not in 2006.
Druids, hippies and hedonists were among the regulars at the 5,000-year-old site.
And drums beat throughout the night.

Los Angeles Times  online      Weds  June 21   2006

Drums, Dancers Greet the Summer Solstice at Stonehenge
By Katie Fretland, The Associated Press  

STONEHENGE, England -- Thousands of dancing and drumming revelers cheered the summer solstice at Stonehenge as an orange sliver of sun rose Wednesday.
Cloudy skies, dense fog and spurts of rain did not seem to dampen the energy of those who bobbed and swayed to cheerful beats with arms outstretched and shouts of "Feel the solstice!"
About 19,000 New Agers, present-day druids and partygoers gathered inside and around the ancient circle of towering stones to greet the longest day in the northern hemisphere as the sun struggled to peek out against a smoky gray sky.
"This is the nearest thing I've got to religion," said Ray Meadows, 34, of Bristol, England. The solstice "is a way of giving thanks to the earth and the universe."
Meadows, wearing a wreath of pink carnations over long pink hair-wrapped braids, identified herself as a fairy of the Tribe of Frog.
Stonehenge, on the Salisbury Plain 80 miles southwest of London, was built between 3000 B.C. and 1600 B.C. The lichen-covered rocks are a major tourist attraction and have spiritual significance for thousands of druids and New Age followers.
The crowd was generally peaceful. Wiltshire police arrested two people for drunken and disorderly behavior and two for public order offenses, spokesman Dave Taylor said.
In 1985, revelers clashed violently with police at the solstice ceremony, resulting in a ban on the celebration. Following years saw clashes between riot police and revelers determined to welcome the solstice among the stones.
English Heritage, the monument's caretaker, began allowing full access to the site again in 2000.
Crowds of partygoers stumbled toward their cars an hour after sunrise, some clutching nearly empty bottles or beer cans.
One described the crowd as 5 percent pagan and 95 percent partygoer.
"Some people here are really spoiling it," said Chris Sargent, 37, of Bournemouth. "Once upon a time it was really spiritual."
Sargent, clad in a long black jacket and pants, top hat and fighter pilot goggles, drank vodka and Coke from a two-liter soda bottle and confessed he was "really stoned."
Jeanette Robinson, 71, of Burton-upon-Trent, England, was cold and tired as she watched the celebration from a low hill near the monument, but said it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
"I don't suppose I'll be here to do it again at my age," she said.
Groups of tourists, some from France, Italy and Spain, joined British revelers. Daniel Estera, 25, flew from Barcelona for one night at the solstice with 15 friends.
"It is part of a family tradition to see a solstice monument from around the world," Estera said. "It is about respect for ancient cultures."
How and why the monument was built remains unknown. Some experts say its builders aligned the stones as part of their sun-worshipping culture, while others believe it was part of an astronomical calendar.

Getty photo from Pravda version of AP story       PIC1

NBC  online     Weds   June 21  2006

Summer Solstice Observed Across Globe  

The annual celebration of the summer solstice at Britain's Stonehenge monument passed peacefully after a wet night.
Police estimated that about 19,000 people -- the usual mix of hippies, pagans and druids -- greeted the sun as it rose just before 4 a.m. local time on Wednesday, which is officially the longest day of the year.
Meanwhile, in New York City, a group of yoga enthusiasts planned to mark the day with a "yoga-thon" in Times Square.
Organizers said Wednesday morning's event is about the search for tranquility.
Stonehenge, on the Salisbury Plain 80 miles southwest of London, was built between 3000 B.C. and 1600 B.C. The lichen-covered rocks are a major British tourist attraction and have spiritual significance for thousands of druids and New Age followers.

AP photo/Sang Tan:      PIC1

Middle East Times  online     Weds   June 21  2006

Sun worshipers celebrate Stonehenge summer solstice  
John D McHugh AFP

SALISBURY PLAIN, England -- About 17,000 people from druids to New Agers defied the weather at Britain's ancient Stonehenge stone circle on Wednesday to celebrate the sun rising on the longest day of the year.
At 4:58 am (0358 GMT), following an all-night party on Salisbury Plain in southwest England, dawn broke on the summer solstice over one of the most famous prehistoric sites in the world.
But unsettled weather dampened the revelry as the sun struggled to break through heavy clouds at the magical moment.
Every June 21 the event draws together druids, revelers, hippies, New Age travelers and others simply wishing to experience the mystical annual event at the 5,000-year-old monument.
When the sun rises over the Heel Stone to the sound of Pagans beating drums, some chant, some cheer, others meditate and the odd character has been known to cavort naked.
But high jinks this year were dampened by an hour-long downpour between 2:00 am and 3:00 am, which contributed to keeping the numbers of revelers down from the expected 25,000.
A bearded druid in white robes identified only as "King Arthur" after the legendary medieval knight said that the summer solstice at Stonehenge was one of their biggest celebrations.
"It's all about the fact that this is an astronomical clock and it's there to tell you what time it is. Not the stuff you wear on your wrist but real, natural time," he told BBC television.
He said that the clouds had taken the edge off the event.
"We're here to celebrate the birth of the longest day and you can't really do that when the star player hasn't come onto the pitch yet."
His companion, also dressed for the occasion, added: "It's been terrific. All the like-minded people like ourselves have all turned up. They've had great fun singing, dancing, mingling and being awake."
Another reveler said: "Today's sunrise was spectacularly unspectacular."
A Wiltshire Police spokeswoman said that around 17,000 sun worshipers turned up and officers made four arrests overnight, two for drunk and disorderly behavior and two for minor public order offenses.
"All in all it was quite a quiet night," she said. "Not a massive turn-out and fairly subdued in atmosphere, even when the sun came up. Normally a lot of people cheer and shout but today was peaceful."
Around 1,000 people were reported to have celebrated the solstice at the nearby Avebury stone circle.
Although Stonehenge is open to the public all year round, restrictions were set up during the 1980s following violent clashes between the police and revelers at the summer solstice.
The stones stand between nine and 18 feet (three and six meters) high and are arranged in concentric circles.
Historians estimate that they were erected sometime between 3000 BC and 1600 BC.
The monument became a World Heritage Site in 1986 and despite years of research and study, the reason behind its construction remains a mystery.

WORSHIPERS: Revelers watch the sunrise behind Stonehenge on the day of the summer solstice in Wiltshire, Southern England, on June 21. Thousands of people traveled to Stonehenge to watch the sun rise on the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere. (REUTERS)
                                                        PIC1   

United Press International     Weds   June 21  2006

Solstice sun clouded over at Stonehenge   

SALISBURY, England, June 21 (UPI) -- About 17,000 people attended the summer solstice celebration at Stonehenge in Britain as bad weather kept additional thousands away from the annual gathering.
Wiltshire police prepared for at least 20,000 visitors for the nightlong party that leads into the sun rising on the longest day of the year. Only four people were arrested and police said it was a fairly quiet night.
The Mirror reports people flock to the ancient site for the optical illusions as the sun peeks over the Heel Stone of Stonehenge.
Although the rain stopped falling by sunrise, the clouds lingered and blocked the view.

Independent (S. Africa)  online         Weds   June 21  2006

Thousands in longest day party at Stonehenge   

London - Up to 25 000 people, from druids to New Agers, are expected to descend on Britain's ancient Stonehenge stone circle on Wednesday to celebrate the summer solstice as dawn breaks on the longest day of the year.
At 4.58am (03h58GMT), following an all-night party on Salisbury Plain in southwest England, the sun is set to rise over one of the most famous prehistoric sites in the world.
Every June 21, the event draws together druids, revellers, hippies, New Age travellers and others simply wishing to experience the mystical annual event at the 5 000-year-old monument.
When the sun rises over the Heel Stone to the sound of Pagans beating drums, some chant, some cheer, others meditate and the odd character has been known to frolic naked in delight.
Clear skies are predicted between four and five o'clock Wednesday morning.
"We're hoping for a great sunrise," said a spokesman for English Heritage, which manages the site, one of Britain's most popular tourist attractions.
"Last year's was spectacular. There's always a good atmosphere here."
Six people were arrested at the 2005 summer solstice, mostly for drink-related offences.
A Wiltshire Police spokesperson said: "We're expecting between 20 000 and 25 000 people. A lot will probably arrive in the early hours of the morning after having watched England play Sweden."
The two football teams clash in Cologne in their final World Cup group stage match.
Although Stonehenge is open to the public all year round, restrictions were set up during the 1980s following violent clashes between the police and revellers at the summer solstice.
The stones at the World Heritage site stand between three and six metres high and are arranged in concentric circles.
Historians estimate the circles were built sometime between 3000 BC and 1600 BC. - AFP

Salisbury Journal   online         Weds   June 21  2006

Solstice revelry at the stones   

THOUSANDS of people were due to flock to Wiltshire today to celebrate the summer solstice.
About 20,000 people were expected to watch the sunrise after an all-night party at the ancient stone circle on Salisbury Plain.
The stone circle at Avebury, which is between Devizes and Swindon, was also due to attract Druids, and others who just wanted to experience the start to the longest day of the year.
English Heritage, which manages the 5,000-year-old Stonehenge site, allows people to gather around the stones for the annual event.
Curious things happen when the sun appears over the Heel Stone at the Summer Solstice to the sound of beating Pagan drums.
Revellers, energised from dancing through the night, have been known to frolic naked. Some chant, some shout, while others sit meditating.
Wiltshire Police were attending to ensure order is maintained.

Football curbs solstice enthusiasm   
By Samantha Simpson

England's World Cup game against Sweden seemed to have an effect on the number of people who turned out for this morning's dawn Summer Solstice celebrations at the Rollright Stones.
About a dozen members of the Cotswold Order of Druids danced and chanted at the stones, near Chipping Norton, at daybreak to mark the longest day of the year and the start of summer.
Site manager Dohn Prout: "There weren't many people at all compared to usual, but then at Stonehenge only about 13,000 turned out, which is minute for there.
"I think the football last night must have had an effect, but what matters is those who were here had a brilliant time."

Cloud may dim midsummer dawn
WEATHER EYE   PAUL SIMONS

AT 04.58 today hundreds will be at Stonehenge hoping to catch the sunrise of fhe summer solstice, the longest day of the year.
The first rays of sunshine will beam over the Heel Stone, which stands outside the stone circle, and light up the centre of the monument. Unfortunately, dawn over Stonehenge may be cloudy.
The Heel Stone is thought to be an astronomical marker of the summer soIstice, although recent evidence suggests that the Stone Age people who built Stonehenge were more interested in celebrating the winter rather than the summer solstice. Nowever, Neolithic builders were much more specific when they designed a tomb on Cape Clear, off the coast of Ireland.
Cape Clear is a tiny speck of land, best known as Ireland's southernmost inhabited island. Near its summit lies the 5,000-year-old ruin of a Stone Age tomb, which once had a roof over a corridor and burial chamber. The corridor is thought to have been aligned with sunrise on the summer solstice - the Sun would appear at dawn between two hills on the mainland, several miles away, and a shaft of light would beam straight into the tomb. The corridor would light up for a few glorious moments and illuminate the burial chamber, before sinking into darkness again. Why the Stone Age builders of the tomb went to so much trouble to eelebrate the solstice remains a mystery.

Noticias.info  (Spain)       Tues   June 20  2006

LIBERAL DEMOCRATS: Government must take action on state of heritage site - Holmes   

On the eve of the Summer Solstice, Liberal Democrat Arts and Culture Spokesperson, Paul Holmes MP has condemned the Government’s failure to protect Stonehenge.
Mr Holmes said:
"For yet another year, the roaring A303 will rip through the heart of the Summer Solstice celebrations at Stonehenge.
"The shameful state of this cultural and historical treasure was labelled a ‘national disgrace’ thirteen years ago and yet we're still waiting for action. I urge the Government to adopt the tunnel scheme approved by the public.
"Let this be the last Summer Solstice darkened by the shadow of Government inaction and delay."

Trust sounds alarm over future of Stonehenge   

AS government decisions over road improvements at Stonehenge approach a critical point the National Trust this week sounded the alarm over the future of the World Heritage Site.
For more than 70 years, the trust has been acquiring parts of the ancient ceremonial landscape integral to Stonehenge for the specific purpose of reuniting the monument with its original setting.
Now it is warning that this long-term goal could be lost when the government publishes the results of its review of possible solutions to traffic problems that blight the ancient tourist attraction.
Responding on Tuesday (June 13) to the government's five options for relieving the stones of A303 traffic, the trust said it believed none of the proposals were worthy of the site and that the threat to Stonehenge was now "urgent, serious and imminent."
In a letter to the Department for Transport the trust's chairman, Sir William Proby, says: "If the government is unable to commit to implementing an acceptable long term solution for Stonehenge then it would be better to make no long term commitment at all.
"We should not tie the hands of future generations in our search for a solution to tackling traffic passing through this iconic landscape."
The National Trust says that a second-class solution for Stonehenge would be wholly unacceptable and says it supports either a bored tunnel at least 2.9km long, or an over-ground solution, which does minimal damage to the World Heritage Site.
Sir William said: "If the government believes the nation cannot afford to do the right thing for Stonehenge today, then we must ensure that nothing is done to prevent a future government from treating the site with the respect and care that it so obviously demands."

Softly, softly touch to policing solstice
By Nigel Kerton

SEVERAL thousand revellers are expected to gather in Avebury next week for the annual solstice celebrations.
Police and the local authorities have spent months preparing for the event which grows in size every year.
Silbury Hill will be a complete no-go area with its car park closed and security patrols. But Avebury will see the biggest party of the year with huge crowds expected especially if the weather is fine.
Avebury has become the alternative to Stonehenge for Druids and pagans and also for many others who enjoy the solstice spectacle.
The crowds in themselves, with many of the people colourfully dressed, provide a spectacle for some visitors.
As the night progresses there is an al fresco party atmosphere with singing and dancing and an increasing crescendo of drumming which becomes more frenetic as dawn approaches.
Even though the atmosphere is light hearted police say they are prepared for any eventuality.
There will be low-key but firm policing, said Sgt Mark Freeman, with an emphasis on making sure everyone has a good time.
However, said Sgt Freeman, other officers will be on standby in case a bigger attendance is necessary.
This year two bobbies on bikes, PCs Simon McLaren-Clark and Andy Sexton, will be cycling among the crowds and around the camp sites.
The National Trust is providing extra parking in the grounds of the Manor off the Swindon Road for about 200 cars.
Parking will be allowed from 10am on Tuesday but no camping will be allowed.
Camping will be permitted in the large southern car park off the Devizes road where there will be portable toilets.
However the car parks will close at 4pm on Wednesday and police will help remove any stragglers.
Police have warned that cars parked on verges will be towed away.
There will be a further gathering in Avebury the next weekend, June 24-25 when the Glastonbury Order of Druids have a separate solstice celebration in the stones.

Road plans put Stonehenge status at risk  
David Adam, environment correspondent

Stonehenge risks being stripped of its status as a world heritage site because of "second-rate" government proposals to ease traffic congestion at the monument, the National Trust said yesterday. Sarah Staniforth, historic properties director with the trust, said the national committee of Unesco, which administers world heritage sites, had reviewed the situation and Stonehenge could be taken off the list because of poor traffic management. The trust's warning comes as ministers prepare to decide what to do to ease congestion on the A303, which passes the ancient stones.
Options being considered include a 1.3 mile (2.1km) tunnel or diverting the road to the north or south on the fringes of the 2,200 hectare site. The trust, which owns much of the land around Stonehenge, does not support any of the plans. Sir William Proby, chair of the trust, said in an open letter to Stephen Ladyman, the transport minister: "If the government is unable to commit to implementing an acceptable long-term solution for Stonehenge then it would be better to make no long-term commitment. We should not tie the hands of future generations." He said the threat to Stonehenge was "urgent, serious and imminent".
The issue was not the preservation of the stones but protection and restoration of the surrounding site, believed to hold undiscovered archaeological treasures. "We cannot stand by and allow a second-rate solution to damage for ever one of the world's most important landscapes."
Fiona Reynolds, director general of the trust, said a temporary solution, upgrading the roads on either side of the site but leaving the A303 as the main route, would make it financially and politically difficult to build an adequate tunnel. "That would just point two barrels of a gun across the world heritage site." The trust's world heritage management plan requires traffic passing the site to be reduced.
The Department for Transport said it would not decide on its preferred solution until a steering group reported this summer. The International Council on Monuments and Sites (Icomos-UK) and the Council for British Archaeology also called on the government to think again.

INDIG DANCERS AT STONEHENGE  

Australian Aboriginal dancers from the Kimberley have performed at Stonehenge as part of an Indigenous focus at this year's Salisbury International Arts Festival, the third largest arts festival in Britain.
The Bardi Dancers from One Arm Point in northern Western Australia were part the largest Aboriginal contingent ever featured in a major arts festival in Britain, which also included photo and art exhibitions, live theatre and film.
Sell out crowds witnessed the two sunset performances at Stonehenge, according to Sam Cook, the Executive Producer of the indigenous theatre group Yirra Yaakin based in Perth.
"When they were performing they said it really felt as if the ground beneath them was hollow. And as they were stomping and performing this phenomenal sort of echo and almost like a musical beat came out of the ground and everyone in the audience was astounded that the noise even existed from the dancers coming out and just performing on the land and generating a sort of pulse back into Stonehenge."
Ms Cook says the performances were an historic moment for all Australian, "It's a big thing for the Bardi Dancers, for the One Arm Point community, for the Kimberley, for West Australia, but most importantly it's for all Indigenous people and all Australians to really get that this is a phenomenal moment in our history, and it's a really positive one. So we really need to all celebrate the success of what's just gone on here in Salisbury at Stonehenge."

Pictures from ABC News:              PIC1                PIC2:  

Amazon Stonehenge found in Brazil
Bureau Report

Rio De Janeiro, June, 05: Brazilian scientists have made a discovery, which may totally change the opinion that the Amazon area has never been populated by highly developed civilizations, the Globo newspaper said.
Amapa archaeologists have found an assembly of stones, nicknamed the Amazon Stonehenge after the famed stone circle in Britain.
One hundred and twenty-seven granite blocks are arranged at an equal distance from one another on a flat surface 390 kilometers away from the administrative center of the Amapa state, Macapa. It is yet hard to say when and why the stones might have been arranged in the peculiar manner, but excavations may give an answer. So far, their age is estimated at 500 to 2,000 years. A local archaeologist said that it might have been an ancient astronomic observatory, as one of the stones marked the position of the Sun on the winter solstice day.
It is also possible that Brazilian native might have used the stone calendar for economic purposes. It is known that many Indian tribes started sowing in strict compliance with the position of stars. The time of religious rites was also dependent on the skies.
Researchers do not doubt that only a highly developed civilization could have arranged the stones.

STONEHENGE SET TO LIVE AGAIN IN ALL ITS GLORY  

Ambitious plans to recreate Stonehenge as it looked five millennia ago have been branded a gimmick by angry druids. The wealthy Shearing family wants to see a completely rebuilt version of the ancient monument in place at Cotswold Water Park, near Cirencester, within the next three years.
If it gets the go-ahead, they hope to see 800,000 people visit it - almost as many as the original receives in a year. And to give it a theme-park feel, visitors will be greeted by tour guides dressed as druids.
The news was immediately condemned by West druids who still mark ancient festivals such as the summer and winter solstices at the Wiltshire landmark.
Morgan Rhys Adams, who is known as the druid priestess of Avebury, said yesterday: "It's just a gimmick. Stonehenge is where it is for a special purpose. Our ancestors had certain knowledge of the energies of the land.
"That site was deemed extremely important. It wasn't something to be gazed at it was for a closed rite. Whatever they replicate at the water park it's not going to be a sacred site." The Shearing family own the quarry in Wales where the original rocks for Stonehenge were quarried more than 5,000 years ago.
Their company, Preseli Bluestone, will fund the multi-million project, which they hope will become a 21st century landmark if it is completed.
Creative director Dr Colin Shearing said: "We don't want to replicate Stonehenge as the ruin that it has become, but rather as it how it would have looked when completed." Only the remnants of three circles still stand at Stonehenge, but the company would reconstruct all seven if given the go-ahead.
Three hundred giant stones would have to be collected from around the world at an estimated cost of £10million.
The plans are only in the early stages and an exact location has yet to be decided. Cotswold District Council would have to grant planning permission.
Dr Shearing, who says the scheme has the support of the World Heritage Organisation said: "We want to show people how mind-boggling Stonehenge is but also for the site to have a reverence about it and to be a place where people can go to be quiet and be in touch with the sky and the earth and the stones." The project would incorporate an underground interpretation centre in the shape or a long barrow, or Neolithic grave. Visitors would be able to walk among the stones and touch them and there are plans to provide coach links between the site and Stonehenge.
The company has employed specialists to help source the stones which would come from various countries. Dr Shearing said:
"People have been working on sourcing the stones for some while, but until we have the site nailed down we won't start bringing them in.
"Some will have to be quarried in the countries before they're cut to size and shape with the final chipping done in England." The Bluestone will make up one of the seven circles with different stones used for each circle. The henge, which will be aligned with the equinox and the solstice, will be surrounded by a wall and a ditch which could then be filled with crystals.
Interim chief executive of the Cotswold Water Park Society Dennis Grant said:
"It's an exciting idea. I believe we could do with more things like this."

09 May 2006

DRUIDS BACK NEW STONEHENGE

Support for ambitious plans to recreate Stonehenge was growing last night - from druids. As reported in the Western Daily Press yesterday, Dr Colin Shearing has announced plans to build a complete replica of the ancient monument at the Cotswold Water Park, near Cirencester, Gloucestershire.
The Shearing family own the quarry in Wales where the original rocks for Stonehenge were quarried more than 5,000 years ago. Their company, Preseli Bluestone, will fund the project, which they hope will become a 21st-century landmark.
Some druids, like priestess of Avebury Morgan Rhys Adams, expressed concern that the plans were just a gimmick.
However, members of The Druid Network have welcomed the plans saying they could be "truly inspirational" and could take pressure off the 5,000-yearold structure on Salisbury Plain.
A spokeswoman said yesterday: "We understand that the idea is to create a quiet, reverent space where people of all faiths and none can go to be quiet and connect with the earth, stones and sky.
"While we could never support a soulless, Disney-style replica of Stonehenge, the vision described to us is one we are more than happy to back.
"It is not only a beautiful idea, but also a very Druidic one." She added: "We would welcome particularly the opportunity to work with him on plans to ensure astronomical alignments are correct and hold a rite to bless the site and give it some soul, so it can become a true part of our sacred heritage." Some 300 giant stones will have to be collected from around the world at an estimated cost of £10million.
The plans are only in the very early stages and an exact location is yet to be decided.