A druid in flowing tunics played a waltz on the bagpipe in the mottled shade of a tree while a band of pilgrims rested on the grass making wreaths of summer flowers.
Three Buddhist monks passed by while a group of men took off their T-shirts in the heat of the sun and drank lager, promising to continue partying until the sun could set and come out again.
After two long years of Covid restrictions, Stonehenge’s large circle of stones reopened on Monday for the summer solstice celebrations, prompting pagans, healers, nature lovers and partygoers to return to the Salisbury plain by the thousands.
Druid Chris Park: “It’s great to be back and feel part of this amazing landscape again.” Photography: Sam Frost / The Guardian
“It’s very exciting,” said Chris Park, the bagpipe-playing druid. “For two years we have not been able to reach the stones for the summer solstice. It’s so lovely to come back and feel part of this amazing landscape again. “
Park was helping lead a group of pilgrims who had brought water from sacred springs across the UK for a ceremony at a site near the circle where humans are known to have camped 4,000 years ago. Then they headed for the rocks before sunset at 9.28pm on Monday and sunrise at 4.49am on Tuesday.
One of the pilgrims, Angela Harding, chief librarian of Bedfordshire, said she liked to return to Wiltshire. “We have pilgrimages all over the country, and it’s always wonderful to meet, but this year I find it very special. We will sing songs, listen to the bagpipe, have fun, ”he said.
Camping and glamping activity in Stonehenge. Photography: Sam Frost / The Guardian
When the Covid blockades and restrictions came in 2020, the right to free access to the stone circle at the summer solstice was one of the high-profile events that was canceled. In 2021, people were again asked to move away, although some defied the request and jumped fences to witness the sunrise from the circle. English Heritage’s “managed open access” was reactivated this year, and the charity and police expected 10,000 people to attend.
“We’ve been planning this moment for two years,” said Jennifer Davies, head of historic property at English Heritage in Stonehenge. “Some people have been desperate to return, while others are not yet ready to be in the crowd on the Salisbury Plain.”
A live broadcast of the sunset and sunrise was arranged at Stonehenge for those who preferred to see it from afar.
Sarah, priestess of the goddess (right), with her friend Debs. Photography: Sam Frost / The Guardian
At the Stonehenge campsite and glamping, there was a friendly, gentle atmosphere when people who hadn’t seen each other since June 2019 were updated. “We create our little world here,” said Dan Twocrows, a veteran. of the solstice. “You know all kinds of people, including people who are out with fairies and people who know where fairies come from.”
Sarah, of Trowbridge, Wiltshire, who described herself as a priestess of the goddess, said, “It’s good to come back to connect with old friends and make new ones. This is a special place with a special, loving atmosphere.”
Debs, a healer from Newcastle upon Tyne, was carrying two badger skulls and a bowl of herbs. He said Covid had left many people “fractured”, but he believed that this journey for many was an opportunity to recover, to find peace and healing.
Go to the summer solstice festival. Photography: Sam Frost / The Guardian
Some went to Stonehenge for the first time, including Anete, who is originally from Latvia but now lives in Burnley and was traveling with her husband and two children, aged four and five. “The solstice is very big in Latvia, so we wanted to see how it was here,” he said.
A group of men in their 20s and 30s were happily drinking beer under the sun. They also turned out to be common on the solstice. “We love the atmosphere, we love the variety of people,” said Chris Richards, a Wolverhampton caregiver.
The return of the solstice celebrations is good news for local towns and villages. Most hotels and guest houses had “No Vacancy” signs, while the pubs and cafes in the nearest town, Amesbury, did good business.
Chris Richards (right) with friends. Photography: Sam Frost / The Guardian
There were some complaints. People camping in vans on the Drove, a track near the circle, were turned off and miles of traffic cones blocked edges and margins.
Arthur Pendragon, a druid who is considered the current incarnation of the ancient and future king, refused to pay the parking fee to the stone circle and went by bus instead of his motorcycle. .
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“It’s paid to pray. That’s not right,” he said. But he agreed that this was a time for a happy celebration instead of complaining, “It’s okay to come back,” he said.