Summer solstice at Stonehenge draws 'record-breaking' crowd
About 25,000 people have celebrated the summer solstice at Stonehenge - a record breaking crowd.The event is one of the few occasions people can walk next to the stones at the ancient site near Salisbury in Wiltshire.It comes on what could be the UK's hottest day of the year so far with temperatures predicted to peak at 34C.Stonehenge's operations manager Julia Richardson told the BBC it had been a peaceful event with an "amazing atmosphere".
She added it was a "perfect combination" of the warm weather and solstice falling on a weekend that brought the crowds out.Jennifer Wexler, Stonehenge's curator of history, said the sunrise had been "amazing"."It's a really wonderful way to come and mark this seasonal moment in time," she added.The solstice attracted people from as far away as Hong Kong and America, along with thousands from the UK.Abigail Ng, 28, has lived in the UK for more than a decade and said she felt she had to visit Stonehenge before moving back home to Hong Kong.
She said she was drawn to Stonehenge after hearing about the atmosphere and pagan festivals and traditions."I had to come here before I left," she said. "So I grabbed my best friend who lives up in Edinburgh and dragged her here this morning."And, one family from Atlanta, Georgia, celebrated an 18th birthday at Stonehenge.They said when she was born they would take her to Stonehenge for the landmark birthday."The weather has been absolutely amazing, the people have been amazing," said mum Kerri Hobson-Pape said.She said it is "really special" to be there for the solstice.
The A303, which runs past the ancient stone circle, was closed during the night after motorists parked their cars on the side of the road.Wiltshire Police said: "We would like to remind motorists to drive safely and cautiously due to the increased risk of pedestrians walking in the road."
Elsewhere, a crowd gathered on Glastonbury Tor to watch the sunrise ahead of the music festival next week.
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