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Wiltshire in Pictures: Steeds and sunrises

Sophie Parker & Ben Marvell
BBC News, Wiltshire
Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images Blurred jockeys on racehorses to the front, in focus behind is green landscape with the city of Salisbury behind, the cathedral high above everything elseAlan Crowhurst/Getty Images
Salisbury hosted racing this week, with the famous cathedral providing a great backdrop

The memories of last weekend's dramatic summer solstice linger on, but life in Wiltshire keeps going.

Racing returned to Salisbury this week, and a festival in Chalke is offering visitors the chance to travel back in time.

Alongside these events, nature as - as ever - been putting on a show as the sunny days keep coming.

Chalke History Festival Men on horseback, one in full armour. They are re-enactors, the horses are wearing traditional tack for a demonstration of fighting with lances or jousting. A fence surrounds, which spectators are watching from with the roofs of numerous marquees in the backgroundChalke History Festival

Time-travellers paradise: Chalke History Festival is on all this week, featuring more than 170 experts and numerous re-enactors. The first few days have school visits during the day.

A circle of people at night all watching two people in the middle perform tricks with fire to mark the summer solstice in Wiltshire

Sublime solstice: While 25,000 went to Stonehenge for the summer solstice, a few thousand went to Avebury for the sunrise. However, the celebrations started very much in the dark and went past sunrise at the ancient site, where people gathered round with fire tricks and later on a sacred druid ceremony took place (below).

Three druids smile at the camera - two women, one man. Two hold wooden staffs and one in the middle wears a long blue hooded robe.
Four dignitaries - three men in suits, including the major with a chain and woman in a striped dress - walk across the new zebra crossing at Salisbury Railway Station, in the style of a famous Beatles album cover

Job done: Local dignitaries, including local MP John Glen, could not resist recreating a certain well-known Beatles album cover when celebrating the £4.5 million revitalisation of Salisbury Railway Station forecourt.

WeatherWatchers/marciaspictures A view of a blue lake with lots of green lilypads and two swans in the distance. Surrounded by lush greenery and trees inside a valley under a blue skyWeatherWatchers/marciaspictures

Peaceful scenes: Stourhead near Warminster remains a popular place to visit - weather watcher Marciaspictures snapped this photo.

WeatherWatchers/CraigRich Close-up of golden crops in a field with a few red poppies growing alongside - it is under a glowering cloudy dayWeatherWatchers/CraigRich

Wildflowers: Weather watcher CraigRich captured the ups and downs of a British summer near the village of West Dean.

WeatherWatchers/Chully A view of rolling fields of yellow crops on a sunny day, lined with hedgesWeatherWatchers/Chully

Break in the clouds: Contributor Chully went out in the countryside near Calne to get this sunny moment.

Wiltshire Council Four people dressed smartly - two men and two women - look at the camera standing in front of a dark but lit backdropWiltshire Council

Seeing stars in Trowbridge: The town's Civic Centre hosted more than 80 children and young people for the annual Star Awards – an event to honour the resilience, talent and triumphs of Wiltshire Council's children in care and care-experienced young people.

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