People visit Stonehenge each December to watch the sunrise on the shortest day of the year People are gathering at Stonehenge later to mark the winter solstice.More revellers than usual are predicted to congregate at Salisbury Plain this year as the date coincides with the end of the 5,125-year "long count" cycle of the Mayan calendar.
Druids and pagans are among those who head to Stonehenge each December to watch the sunrise on the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
Druid leader King Arthur Pendragon will be leading the celebrations.
He said he would be making a "political statement" which he hoped would be heard around the world.
'Stay together'"I will be asking for an end to war, an end to economic slavery and, basically, a cleaner, greener planet."
This year's solstice date also marks the conclusion of the long count cycle of the Mayan calendar, which some people believe indicates the end of the world.
Although the exact time of the solstice this year - when the Earth's axial tilt is farthest away from the sun - is at 11:11 GMT, English Heritage will be providing access to the stones earlier in the morning.
The National Trust has asked people who do not normally visit for the solstice to be fully prepared for poor weather conditions.
General manager Jan Tomlin said: "We suggest that anybody wanting to celebrate the solstice should bring extra layers to wear, check the weather forecast before you go and, if you are visiting with friends, stay together."
Last year more than 1,000 people visited Stonehenge to mark the winter solstice.
