Got up at 3:30 am to watch the sunrise on the Summer Solstice at Avebury Stone Circle. The sky was clear and early morning mist hung over the fields, giving a magical atmosphere.
The nearer I got to the stone circle the busier it became. The police close the roads around Avebury on the solstice to protect the ancient monument from too many visitors. So, everyone was walking. All these people so early in the morning. Very strange.
I didn't want to be with such a large crowd on a magical morning. I really wanted to watch the dawn on my own.
So I turned away from Avebury and went instead to Silbury Hill. This is the largest pre-historic man-made structure in Europe and this morning, with the mist swirling around its base, it looked very mysterious and atmospheric. I found somewhere quiet to sit and wait for the dawn.
In my sketchbook I drew and recorded how I felt. The photographs record the colours and landscape, but what I remember most was the overwhelming power from the earth as the sun rose over the horizon.
Yes, an unforgettable morning.
Sketchbook page
Silbury Hill at 4:20 am.
Looking towards Avebury over misty fields
A select band of Solstice watchers
Beautiful colour
Just before...
... the sunrise
Silhouette of Silbury Hill
4 comments:
O Margaret, these are the most spectacular pictures. No wonder England holds such romance for me. I can fairly see King Arthur and Merlin ambling through the mists.
Thanks again for sharing your world with us, and for getting up so early!
Margaret, what program do you use to place the copyright on your photos?
How beautiful! Absolutely beautiful and, indeed, a magical morning.
Margaret, where are the July posts?! ;) Looking good. Nice little reminder of where I should be cycling...
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