Thousands gather at Stonehenge for sunrise on winter solstice

Large crowds of people, many who travelled from around the world to be there, have welcomed the longer days, which will begin to steadily grow from today onwards.

Bradley O'Neill, who travelled from Australia, is on the first stop of a tour around Europe.

"This was one of my long time wishes, to see Stonehenge" he said.

"I just like old mysteries. The world is full of questions and I'm not going to get many answers either, but I'm sure going to see something special."

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Some come for the unique spectacle, but others come for religious or spiritual reasons.

One visitor who travelled down from Edinburgh, came specifically to join the pagan celebration, she told the BBC "The winter solstice is all about life returning, the sun has been born anew,"

"There's lots of intention, new life and hope in the air. It's been beautiful."

Stonehenge, the oldest parts of which date back around 5,000 years, was built in several stages, according to English Heritage.

The charity that manages Stonehenge says the earliest known significant monument at the site was a circular ditch built in around 3,000 BC.

The stones associated with the site are thought to have been placed there in around 2,500 BC.

They’re deliberately placed to line up with the Sun’s movements during the two solstices - summer and winter - marking the changing of the seasons.

Due to this connection with the Sun, and due to burials found at the site, it’s thought to have played a spiritual role. Based on Stonehenge’s design, English Heritage says the winter solstice - rather than summer - may have been the main focus for those who built it.