Yesterday, the UK witnessed a 92% eclipse, the deepest eclipse seen here in 54 years, so I cycled over to Wittenham Clumps to enjoy the show.
Wittenham Clumps in Oxfordshire provides the perfect setting for watching the spectacle, with its raised, open hilltop and views stretching west across the surrounding countryside.
People arrived in their masses, bringing blankets and picnics, umbrellas and deck chairs, beer and wine. I witnessed a whole range of solar eclipse viewing contraptions, from the standard eclipse glasses, telescopes and cameras to the more creative – colanders, cereal boxes, Amazon boxes, or simply a piece of A4 paper.
As the eclipse reached its peak, the light was noticeably different, becoming softer and more muted, but it never became totally dark. For a moment, the temperature also dropped, giving everyone a much needed break from the UK’s heatwave, but only for 90 seconds. As the sun gradually returned to its usual self, everyone began packing up and heading home.
