21/06/2026
Well, I have to say, that truly was the most wonderful sunrise I’ve ever seen. We now know that the 5000yr old stones of came from all corners of the U.K - possibly an early attempt to unite the ancient people of our beautiful isles. Quite how they achieved the necessary communication, logistics and navigation necessary for this is, to me, absolutly mind boggling.
The roar of the skylarks ascending in the surrounding fields and amongst the ancient burial mounds was equally astonishing.
As I stood in the stone circle at 4am with my eldest daughter cheering and dancing with perhaps 15,000 other people, I was struck by the timeless ability of nature to unite humanity. People from all around the world had come to this special point, in much the same way people did thousands of years to marvel at the Earth. You could hear all the different languages and accents - American, and Polish, Ghanaian and Indian, Australian and more - all here to watch a sunrise and celebrate the arrival of the - the moment the northern hemisphere points directly towards our local star.
I was so grateful to English Heritage for having the courage and vision to keep this site open and free to all who want to visit on this special day - this is our heritage and our culture, and our people of all income abilities must be able to access it. Not only that, I am greateful to them for having the understanding that it is important that this place remains not as a shut away ‘museum piece’, but as a living place where people can touch and commune and bond with all that makes us human.
The best 28hrs of no sleep for a very long time.
English Heritage
24/04/2026