Stonehenge has long played a central part in festivities and traditions, both for people locally and further afield.

Over the last 80 years the ancient stones have played host to hundreds of Morris dancers, and most particularly around the time of summer solstice. 

English Heritage welcomed local group Sarum Morris to Stonehenge recently both to honour the long-held tradition, and to recreate one of the earliest photographs to illustrate it. With groups such as Sarum Morris, the tradition looks set to continue for a long time to come, with the youngest member of the Sarum Morris, Daniel, just 8 years old, and the longest-standing member a spritely 85.

The dancers arrived early one morning to bring their lively performance to the iconic stone circle. The aim was to faithfully recreate the earliest known photograph of Morris dancers at Stonehenge, paying homage to the rich history and cultural significance of this captivating tradition.

While Morris dancing can be traced back as far as 1448 in London, the first historical account of these popular folk dancers at Stonehenge emerged in 1939. During the summer solstice of that year, a touring team from the English Folk Dance and Song Society joined a crowd of around 400 people as they celebrated the longest day of the year.

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One of the earliest photographs of Morris dancing at the stones dates from Sunday, June 21, 1953, and shows the White Horse Morris Men dancing to a crowd of around 1000 onlookers. On this occasion they were joined by folk dancers from the University of Bristol. The new photo has been recreated with the help of Sarum Morris, albeit without the crowds of on-lookers due to restricted access policies that have been in place since 1977. 

English Heritage historian Jennifer Wexler said: “It’s fantastic to see traditions such as Morris dancing continuing at Stonehenge. We know that Stonehenge has been the focus for so much activity over thousands of years and it’s thrilling to see the stones continuing to draw people together today, and in the case of these dances, for such a joyful activity.” 

Sarum Morris has also announced its upcoming performance at the Stonehenge Visitor Centre on Sunday, September 24, following hot on the heels of Autumn Equinox, where they will be joined by fellow esteemed Morris groups Dartington Morris from Devon and Cuckoo's Nest from Brighton.