Summer Solstice in Wiltshire; it’s a crowd-puller, but even forty years after the Battle of the Beanfield and decades of attempted commercialisation, it remains a tourism the authorities clearly don’t appreciate…..
Wiltshire Police and English Heritage have ganged up on social media to warn revellers not to drive to Stonehenge or Avebury for this year’s summer solstice. Cue frustration, possible conflict, pedestrians on narrow roads, and chaos in neighbouring towns. All of which, I hasten to add, helps to maintain the tradition of division and bad blood between attendees and residents.
“We are pleased to welcome visitors from all over the world to these special sites,” Wiltshire Police expressed in a Facebook post. “However, we urge everyone to plan ahead to ensure they can mark the occasion safely and responsibly.”
It matters not how nicely they dress it up. Do as we say, not as we do; forty years isn’t so long ago for something described by ITN journalist Kim Sabido as “the worst police treatment of people that I’ve witnessed in my entire career as a journalist,” there’s never been a formal inquest, and police were cleared of wrongful arrest at a 1991 civil trial.
Even patronising overuse of emojis isn’t disguising that what followed was a stark warning; ‘we’re going to make this as awkward as we possibly can for you.’
“English Heritage strongly advises people not to travel to Stonehenge by car,” they continued. “Parking is limited and must be pre-booked via their website, and long queues are expected for those who do drive.”
Begging the questions, why is parking so limited? Because Stonehenge is so walled-in with surrounding urbanisation it’s impossible to supply adequate parking there?! Because folk have only been pilgrimaging to Stonehenge for the last 5,000 years, therefore a ‘sudden interest’ in the event took English Heritage by surprise?! If only there was a field nearby folk could park in….
179.2 million quid could be found to spend on surveys, legal fees, and archaeological mitigation for a failed £2 billion Tory project to carve up the sacred landscape with a concrete monstrosity, the lights of which would’ve deliberately been angled to block the sunrise, but there’s no magic money tree to pay a local farmer for use of a nearby field for folk to park in.
Nope, the onus is on the attendees; pay Salisbury city centre’s extortionate parking fees, and cram onto the “regular” bus service, they suggested, if reading between the lines. Come on you Reds! Extra late evening Salisbury Reds buses will be put on, apparently, but note, cash is typically not accepted for Solstice journeys, so you must pay via contactless. No bank account, travelling folk, no going on bus.
And here’s the ‘don’t outstay your welcome’ punchline: “Vehicles that are abandoned or parked on the A303 or nearby roads are likely to be towed away.”
Sunrise is at 4:52am on Sunday the 21st June; unless you fancy feeling the full force of the Road Traffic Act, those wishing to celebrate at Stonehenge should note the average human travels at the approximate speed of 3mph, so I’d start walking now!
Just think, our Neolithic ancestors dragged the bluestones 140 miles from Wales, and the Altar Stone came from Scotland. English Heritage’s selling point is to, “walk in the footsteps of your Neolithic ancestors at Stonehenge” yet fails to mention you might have to walk just as far as them to get there for solstice!
Yeah! That’s how we treat tourists on heathen pilgrimages around here, mate!
“One of the wonders of the world and the best-known prehistoric monument in Europe,” they call it, which kinda makes you feel somewhat patriotic. Where’s the support from flagshaggers when you need them most?! You might have to wait for Wetherspoons to build a branch on the byway.
Yet, for the residents of the county who know the kerfuffle at Stonehenge is such, a nicer time can be had at Avebury, and Police have installed some similar rules there too.
“If you’re heading to Avebury,” they warn, “the National Trust also advises that the car park cannot accommodate everyone and where possible, to use public transport, walk, or arrange to be dropped off.”
And I get this, because Avebury is a village with residents, whereas Stonehenge isn’t, and no one is to blame for this except Saxons. Bloody Germanic tribes, coming over here building villages on are English Neolithic monuments, nicking all are blacksmith jobs, and raping all are neanderthals. Get the 49 bus, neanderthals do!
But I did chat with Arch Druid of Avebury, Jim Saunders, who blessingly explained this year’s Avebury Summer Solstice celebrations in a more positive light. They include the God and Goddess Walk and Awen Ceremony at midday, the Ladies Circle at 1pm, and the Free and Open Gorsedd of Caer Abiri at 1:30pm.
“We’d also appreciate people helping us care for the site by using the bins provided, taking litter home where possible, and avoiding leaving offerings or tying objects to trees and stones,” he furthered, which is a much more hospitable attitude and therefore likely to be received welcomingly.
Grianstad Sona, Happy Solstice, because the bottom line is, if you go to either at solstice you’ll realise the troublesome narrative is mostly codswallop, and if even there was a little, it’d likely be caused by tensions the authorities created themselves, by not compromising for one day of the year, at least until it’s a commercial enterprise.
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