I'm beginning tweeting at the #wintersolstice

As I just explained, we just finished building a new monument, #soultonlongbarrow, which revives a prehistoric practice of building long barrows, not seen for 5,500 years

These are the first images of the new chamber ever shared

Im going 2 explain more about what this is, and how it has been an important resource for our community in surprising ways in this challenging covid year, but for now, I just wanted to share a picture of the monument working with the #wintersolstice #sunset for the 1st time today

Now, I realise I need to expand aspects of the context for this happening.

Let's start around 5,500 years go, when the first farmers in the British Isles also found #architecture, which they do by building long barrows... Here's West Kennet in Wiltshire ( from resarch trips)

This culture of megalithic monument building carries on basically until the Romans arrive.. Some more examples, again feom resarch trips.

I think they are beautiful and really profound things: they are carrying ideas down 1000s of years.

Anthony Gormley has called these really ancient bits of art and building a "high five through time" and I kinda like that way of thinking about them.

Aaaanyway...

... For over 1000 years, nobody builds any of these things. Which is sad, but there are reasons we will not dwell on here.

That is until my friend @TimothyDaw () , a farmer and then a steward of #Stonehenge is pressed into building a new long barrow on his #allcannings farm:

This is the long barrow in All Cannings, Wiltshire that @TimothyDaw and his community built.

Tim's project struck various nerves and his monument is a beautiful success.

(here is a drone video if it: )

The masons involved went on to found @SacredStonesLtd, and - to quicken the pase of this thread - we shoock hands (remember when that was allowed?!) on them building the next long barrow at Soulton in late 2015.

This is what the exterior of #SoultonLongBarrow looks like, we had help from @arch_cambridge to be respectful of the archeological heritage and the first builders' values as far as we could.

I like to think they might have a beer with us and explain where we went wrong...

Two years ago, in a break in building, @BBCCountryfile visted with Matt and Ellie to report on the barrow, and some other bits of life @SoultonHall

Tomorrow, we are (safely - it is all ticketed and very carefully managed, *do not* attend with no tickets) making the #WinterSolstice at the barrow for the first time.

Here is a sneaky look at how that looks from a few weeks ago (we were still building then)

There are plans to live stream tomorrow's #wintersolstice #sunset from the barrow's Facebook page however.

It is not overcast. Here is the link:

https://www.facebook.com/SacredStonesSoulton/

Tomorrow, this thread on the barrow and the solstice and the art it has set in motion will continue, with updates on the activities for the #wintersolstice.

But this is probably enough for today. Goodnight