Druids and tourists mingle at Stonehenge celebration

HUNDREDS of druids, pagans and tourists braved the gloomy weather to gather at Stonehenge yesterday morning to celebrate the winter solstice.

The mystical stones attracted a crowd of 1,900 people, with some dressed in cloaks and robes, to see sunrise at the prehistoric site in Wiltshire.

The winter solstice is a pagan celebration held on the shortest day of the year.

More than 20,000 people usually attend the annual summer solstice celebrations at the site on the longest day of the year in June.

Rupert Irving, 28, from Cirencester, travelled to Stonehenge this morning with six of his friends and family to see the dawn break shortly after 8.00am.

“It was beautiful, it was a shame the sun was not up but the sky was really nice with shades of blue and orange, it was a really nice backdrop to the stones,” he said.

“Since 2003 I have been going to the stone circle at Avebury for winter solstice but Stonehenge is spectacular.

“It’s a religious festival for some people and it’s great to be a part of it, and they don’t mind, there’s such a great atmosphere.”

The event was held amid concerns over the future of plans to build a £20 million (€21.5m) visitor centre.

But the decision to build the centre has been postponed until January because of a disagreement between English Heritage and The National Trust over where the centre should be built.

If the centre is to be built on time a planning application must be lodged with Salisbury district council by next March.