This year’s winter solstice celebrations ended in a war of words after heritage officials were forced to defend themselves from criticism from England’s chief pagan leader.
Druid Arthur Pendragon, a self-proclaimed reincarnation of King Arthur, said: ‘The winter solstice was incredibly over-managed this year.
‘The situation with parking was awful and everyone was herded like sheep… I’m sad to say that it was an utter shambles.’
But Stonehenge general manager Kate Davies claimed that arrangements for the solstice were similar to previous years, with English Heritage working to ensure a ‘safe and happy’ occasion.
‘Our staff received lots of positive feedback from visitors who celebrated the solstice joyfully and peacefully,’ she insisted.
Pendragon was among those staging a boycott with a counter-ceremony on the periphery of the monument.
Druid groups are protesting at the decision to display ancient human remains at a new tourist centre on the Wiltshire site.
‘I got the impression that English Heritage wanted worshippers out of there as quickly as possible because they thought they got in the way of tourists,’ said King Arthur.
The new tourist centre, which is one and half miles away from the stones, will cater for the site’s one million annual visitors.
One of the highlights is an advanced forensic reconstruction of an early Neolithic man’s face, based on a 5,500-year-old skeleton found nearby.