Stonehenge to Livestream Summer Solstice Celebrations

The event has moved online in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic
Stonehenge is a UNESCO World Heritage site
Stonehenge is a UNESCO World Heritage site
Updated on
2 min read

Every summer, thousands of travellers make their way to Stonehenge in Wiltshire, UK, to witness the summer solstice celebrations held on June 21. However, owing to the global pandemic this year, the event has been cancelled and for the first time ever, Stonehenge will livestream the event on social media. &rdquoWe have consulted widely on whether we could have proceeded safely and we would have dearly liked to host the event as per usual, but sadly, in the end, we feel we have no choice but to cancel,&rdquo said Stonehenge director Nichola Tasker in a statement.

 
 
 
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Sadly, we can&rsquot visit our historic places in person, but we&rsquoll do our best to bring you the fascinating stories &nbsphere on Instagram.â ÂÂÂÂÂÂ On 26 October 1918, Stonehenge was offered by Cecil and Mary Chubb to Sir Alfred Mond, First Commissioner of Works, as a gift for the nation. Cecil Chubb had bought Stonehenge for &pound6600 at a local auction just three years previously.â ÂÂÂÂÂÂ Prior to 1918, the monument was propped up with wooden poles and some of the stones were in danger of collapse. Increasing numbers of visitors through the late 19th century had led to damage, with people regularly chipping the stones for souvenirs and scratching their names on the monument. Although this was largely halted by the introduction of an admission charge and attendant policeman from 1901 onwards, the monument itself was still in a perilous condition.â ÂÂÂÂÂÂ Thanks to the Chubbs' generosity, Stonehenge was saved. English Heritage&rsquos predecessors, The Office of Works, began to care for the monument, restoring many of the fallen stones and undertaking a major survey and programme of excavation. Today, the ancient monument is looked after by English Heritage on behalf of the nation.â ÂÂÂÂÂÂ Pictured Stonehenge bathed in light Cecil Chubb and his wife Mary Members of staff and their families forming a 100 at the stones in 2018 to mark 100 years of care and conservation of the monument.â ÂÂÂÂÂÂ .â ÂÂÂÂÂÂ .â ÂÂÂÂÂÂ .â ÂÂÂÂÂÂ #englishheritage #stonehenge #historicplaces #historicproperties #neolithic #monument #culture #history #heritage #salisbury #wiltshire #uk #britain #england #englishheritagesites #charity #conservation

A post shared by English Heritage (@englishheritage) on Apr 3, 2020 at 840am PDT

&ldquoWe can't welcome you in person this year because of the measures in place to combat coronavirus &ndash but our live coverage of sunset and sunrise means you won't miss a moment of this special occasion. Our cameras will capture the best views of Stonehenge, allowing you to connect with this spiritual place from the comfort of your own home. Please, to help keep everyone safe, do not travel to Stonehenge for summer solstice this year. We look forward to welcoming you in person at next year's event,&rdquo said a Stonehenge statement. 

The Stonehenge is one of the world&rsquos most famous pre-historic monuments and today, together with Avebury, it forms the heart of a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is believed that the ancient cultures were aware of the movement of the earth and built Stonehenge to possibly mark the solstices as during the summer solstice, the sun rises just over the structure&rsquos Heel Stone and hits the Altar Stone dead center. The summer solstice occurs when the sun, after travelling the longest path through the sky, is directly over the Tropic of Cancer. 

You can watch the live sessions via all their social media handles. The broadcast will feature the the sunset on Saturday, June 20 at 2026 GMT (2126 BST) and the sunrise on Sunday, June 21 at 0352 GMT (0452 BST). The livestreams will also be saved on their Facebook page, in case you miss watching them the first time. You can also take a virtual tour of the the Stonehenge here

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