As the sun rose over Cumbria this morning, a small crowd gathered to celebrate the summer solstice in the heart of the county.

The group made their way from the market hall in Keswick to Castlerigg - Cumbria's most-visited stone circle - to mark the occasion and take in the impressive views of Skiddaw, Blencathra and Lonscale Fell.

The circle, which consists of 38 stones, was built about 3,000BC, making it one of the earliest in the country.

Thousands of people are also expected to descend on Stonehenge - the UK's most famous stone circle - to mark the occasion. Traditionally, it is thought that Stonehenge was built to mark the movements of the sun.

Around the world, the summer solstice is celebrated with a raft of festivals, rituals and feasts by people from a variety of different religions.

Many believe that the event, which usually occurs around June 21 in the northern hemisphere, is strongly associated with fertility, growth and light.

However, to many people, the summer solstice is most strongly linked to pagans, who saw the occasion as a marker for planting and harvesting crops.

"This is the fourth year that we've done the summer solstice walk," Leah Davies, marketing manager for Lake District Hotels, which has organised the event, told the News & Star.

"We set off from the market hall at 3am and make our way up to Castlerigg where we meet Gill Kavanagh, who is our own druid. There, at the stone circle, we hold hands and there's singing involved as well.

"We've had 24 people book up this year, which is slightly less than we've had in the past.

"But I think that's because this time the summer solstice falls in the middle of the week so unfortunately it's more difficult for people to attend."

Leah said that people from all over the world have booked up to celebrate the summer solstice in Keswick.

"It's a complete mix of people that book up," she explained.

"This year we've had a man from Workington who first came two years ago," she said.

"But we've also had people booking up from elsewhere in the country who stay for a few days.

"Last year we had people from America come along, who had researched the summer solstice and decided to be part of it."

Leah added that for many visitors, the experience of celebrating the summer solstice with a druid-led ceremony can be an "eye-opener".

"A lot of people research what it involves and are keen to find out more about what it involves," she explained.

"I think that there's a lot of curiosity and interest around it. It's a cause for celebration and something that's totally unique."