Inside Salisbury: Winter Solstice and Disability Sports Takeover

Are you planning to visit Stonehenge for the Winter Solstice?

Dec 16, 2024

by Annette J Beveridge

WINTER Solstice celebrations will take place at Stonehenge this month marking the shortest day of the year when the North Pole is tilted farthest from the Sun.

Marked by rites and festivals, this has been a significant time of year since prehistory and points to the lengthening of the days once more. Stonehenge is aligned with the sunrise or sunset and for the winter sunset or ‘hibernal solstice’ as it was also known, the sun sets to the south-west of the stone circle.

English Heritage has announced plans to livestream the event which takes place on Saturday, December 21 but those who would like to experience it in person will be made welcome at the site. The celebration coincides with the first sunrise following the astronomical event - just after 8am on Saturday, December 21.

Head of Historic Properties at Stonehenge, Richard Dewdney, said, “We are excited to welcome people to the Solstice celebration again this year, whether you’ll be watching from home or braving the cold to join us in person.

“If you decide to travel to Stonehenge, we highly recommend taking the bus from Salisbury, as parking is very limited onsite. We’re also expecting heavy traffic as many people will be travelling for Christmas.

“Please remember that Stonehenge is a Scheduled Monument and an ancient burial site, regarded as sacred by many, making this celebration particularly meaningful. We want everyone to have a great experience and a safe visit to Stonehenge. As always, we kindly ask that all visitors respect the stones and those around them.”

The monument field will open for visitors around 7:45 AM, as soon as it is light enough but the café in the visitor centre will serve hot drinks and food starting at 5:15am.

For those who prefer to watch from home, here’s the link

Disability Sport Takeover event took place at Five Rivers

An event organised by the council’s Sport and Physical Activity team saw more than 80 people with disabilities participate in a series of events held at Five Rivers Leisure Centre.

The activities took place on Friday, December 6 and included adapted cycling, inclusive dance, boccia, kurling, seated exercise, swimming, wheelchair basketball and sports hall games.

In addition, an inclusive gym session was delivered by staff members at Five Rivers, promoting the recently refurbished gym and highlighting the accessibility and inclusivity of the equipment and facility.

One parent was delighted with the activities and said: ‘As a result, our son would like to join the gym. Being able to meet gym staff on Friday gave him a lot of confidence to want to join a new sports activity alongside his martial arts. A huge thank you to you and your team.’

The event was open to disabled and non-disabled people of all ages, individuals with long-term health conditions, those with mobility impairments, people looking to be more active and those who simply wanted to have a go.

Cabinet Member for Leisure, Councillor Ian Blair-Pilling, said: “I’m delighted that the Disability Sport Takeover event was such a huge success with so many people attending. I’m even more delighted that as a result, people now have the confidence to engage in more activities or join the gym.

“One of our key business plan priorities is to help people in Wiltshire increase their activity levels and improve their health, and this event provided a safe space for people to come along and have a go, engage in new activities and meet new people.”

Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, SEND and Inclusion, Councillor Jane Davies, said: "The event helped to bring people together and raise awareness of the community sport and physical activity opportunities available to disabled people in Wiltshire. Accessing these types of activities will really enable people to maximise their independence and hopefully help us to break down some of the barriers stopping them from participating.

“I’d like to say a big thank you to the Sport and Physical Activity team and also to Wiltshire Inclusive Dance who helped plan and deliver the event, and also provided a range of inclusive, person-centred activities for individuals with complex needs, including sensory soft play and inclusive movement workshops for all.

“We look forward to the next event!”

The Sport and Physical Activity teams disability sport programme ‘Ability Sports’ has something to offer everyone, to find out the full list of activities on offer in Wiltshire people should visit – Ability Sports - Local Offer.

Don’t miss out on our news and features. Subscribe now.