More than 1 MILLION watch Stonehenge Winter Solstice online

English Heritage has described the success of the stream as 'uplifting'

Author: Faye TryhornPublished 22nd Dec 2020
Last updated 22nd Dec 2020

The Winter Solstice marks the sunrise at the end of the year's longest night, celebrating that the 'worst of the winter' is over and the days starting to get longer.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the event on Monday 21 December was closed to the public.

However, English Heritage held a live stream online instead - the organisation telling us more than one million people watched from their own homes worldwide.

If you missed it, here's the (rather gloomy) sunrise again:

'So many enjoyed connecting with this special place'

English Heritage's Stonehenge Director Nichola Taskersaid:

"It was very uplifting to see so many people around the world join us online this Winter Solstice and enjoy the atmospheric dawn at Stonehenge. Reading the heart-felt comments, we are really delighted that so many enjoyed connecting with this special place, at the end of an incredibly difficult year for us all.

"We look forward to seeing people back - in person - at Stonehenge for Winter Solstice next year. Stonehenge will be open every day throughout the Christmas holidays except Christmas Day and visitors will get both a warm and safe welcome to this great monument".

The public were unable to attend the Winter Solstice in 2020

Winter Solstice normally attracts around 5,000 people to the stone circle, one of the very few times in the year that visitors are permitted so close.

It's also an important occasion for pagans and druids, who gather for the celestial event.

A handful of people still visited Stonehenge yesterday, but didn't enter the monument field itself.

English Heritage claims it took advice from both Wiltshire Police and Wiltshire Council in deciding to close this year's Winter Solstice to the public.

Wiltshire Police says it's pleased the guidelines were respected:

"We would like to thank everyone for their cooperation during this year's Winter Solstice. We understand that some people were disappointed with English Heritage's decision for Stonehenge and Avebury to remain closed due to Covid-19.

"However, we fully supported this decision and we hope people understood it was necessary to keep the public safe."

According to the force, the occasion caused 'no issues' around the World Heritage Site.

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