Thousands mark Winter Solstice at grey and windy Stonehenge
The sunrise was covered by a blanket of cloud
Last updated 21st Dec 2024
4,500 people have marked winter solstice at Stonehenge this morning.
The event, which marks the shortest day and longest night of the year, was held on a grey and breezy morning.
English Heritage’s Jennifer Wexler said they’re delighted with how it’s gone.
She said: "Everyone's had a lovely time, even though it's a bit cold and a little bit cloudy, but I'm just looking and we're going to get a little bit of light through, but everyone's had a lovely time and it's been a great peaceful event and we're just really happy to be able to host everyone here and welcome them to the site."
Jennifer added: "I think it's just such an important day to mark the kind of shortest day of the year, but then also the return of the light.
"It's a symbolic time of year. We're just coming up to Christmas. So I think for a lot of people, this is the start of their holidays or celebrations."
The sun rose, albeit behind a blanket of cloud shortly after 8am, with groups of people celebrating with cheers, song and dance.