If there is a pile of wood to burn along with a healthy spiritualist spirit, I am there.
I spent my childhood playing within the tree-lined walls of a 2000-year-old Iron Age ring fortress built into a field (though the farmer who owned it left it alone because he was afraid the fairies who lived there would attack him if he dared to meddle).
As a cranky teenager, I found solace in the sea of daffodils that bloomed in the center of the square in spring, but others came to restore their energy by placing their hands on the stones set on the square’s edge.
To me, that’s the essence of spiritualism: you don’t have to believe in mystical things to enjoy a quiet place and a moment of meditation.
So I hitchhike back and forth across the green rolling hills of Uisnare, “Irish Holy Land,” to celebrate the arrival of summer, and last year danced (in many outfits) around a bonfire near a magical waterfall to welcome in the Slavic summer solstice.
So when I had the opportunity to attend Solstice on the Mount, a solemn summer solstice celebration at a 4,000-acre country estate, I was skeptical.
The event will take place in Worthing, a 4,000-acre Berkshire estate owned by former prime minister David Cameron’s Eton-educated cousin.
The vast grounds are dotted with old barns, dovecotes and a 15th century chapel, many of which have been converted for dining and to accommodate wedding guests – a very different environment to what I’m used to.
Although Worthing is large enough to form its own parish, I wasn’t 100% sure I would be able to tap into my spiritual side.
But I was I gave in to temptation and was seduced by the chance to see indie musician (and this year’s headliner) Nick Mulvey perform for the first time in 11 years.
Arriving a few hours before the 5pm kick-off, I checked into my accommodation for the night, an old blacksmith’s hut with a spacious bed and wet room, before having the opportunity to wander the grounds, which stretch for miles and are home to a wide variety of hardwood trees.
I walked beneath the tree canopy and down a dirt path to the lake, brown with silt covering its shallow bottom and warm in the sun.
A pier jutted out of the water, dragonflies floated above the water for the first time in maybe 20 years, and stick-like fish wriggled beneath it.
There is a metal basin full of ice on the pier, and if you’re brave enough, you can sink into it and enjoy the uplifting benefits.
I watched as one woman dipped up to her neck in a basin, panting, and I stopped her to calm down and control her breathing.
Just looking at it put me in a trance-like state and I immediately decided to give it a try.
I slowly slid into my upper body and then jumped off as my shins started to hurt. I would try anything but it seemed like unnecessary torture when lying in the sun would undoubtedly be just as healing.
Thankfully, there’s a sauna just steps from the shore, with a double-sided mirror offering views of the lake’s surface sparkling in the sunlight filtering through the towering trees.
Eventually we arrived at what is called the “Sacred Valley” where the festival takes place.
The stage was at the foot of the mountain of the same name, up a footpath past pots of smouldering sage and tree stumps strewn with bluebells – an offering of some kind, perhaps.
Lifted above the crowd, Rodrigo y Gabriela’s guitar screamed, trembled and thundered as he stalked across the stage as the glittering sun sank behind him.
Nick Mulvey had the crowd bopping and swaying, but I’m not one to stay in one place for too long.
Washin Forest has plenty to explore, even when it’s not hosting yoga workshops or organic pumpkin picking.
Across the crowd, a line of food trucks was lined up serving samosas, lentil curry, hot dogs and Vietnamese noodles.
If I hadn’t eaten so quickly, I would have taken a photo of the falafel bowl with the sauce and a sprinkling of pickles.
I made my way through the trees and along a fallen trunk beside a clearing filled with purple foxgloves at least six feet tall.
In another clearing there was a nearly perfect circle through which the performers on stage finished their bows and the audience passed through to sit in a circle around the fire.
Everything was thought out, from the fire keepers making sure the audience stayed a safe distance from the flames, to the mesmerizing strumming of the harp, to the soothing, almost whistling singing of Ajit and her band that had me humming along to Irish folk songs.
As midnight approached, the focus shifted to the field, where AWARË’s multi-instrumental trance led the survivors through the dawn to greet the rising sun.
But like most people, I didn’t make it that far, and trust me, I went back to the cottage to take a nap and tried to wake up for the advised 3am alarm, but the bed was too comfortable and I was too tired from the day’s adventures to wake up.
But it had been a long day, the longest day in fact, but I didn’t want it to end.
Alcohol-free festival
I was a little worried I wouldn’t be able to drink a pint.
It would come in handy when you’re bored and need to kill time. But that moment never came.
And as the holes in your shoes from an all-day rave attests, there’s nothing wrong with dancing like a fool, drunk or not.
Certainly, drinking alcohol might have helped alleviate the fatigue that forced me to close my eyes and allowed me to stay awake until sunrise.
But it was easier to relax without a noisy environment, to hold a partner without someone watching over my shoulder, to find high in music, dance, or nature, something other than substance.
It meant that each moment could be enjoyed for longer without fading away.
They say time flies when you’re having fun, but here it seemed like time disappeared along with the outside world.
“Solstice on the Mount” was born out of the desire of landowner Joshua Dugdale, who, like many rural landowners, wanted his land to become self-sufficient now that the cartographic empire that had made his family’s fortune was gone.
While he continues to offer a fairly conventional wedding venue service, he has tried to infuse the place with a spirituality he has picked up from his travels around the world.
Over breakfast the next morning, I told the centre’s chief executive, Andrew Perkins, that it seemed a strange approach to a place like this, breaking down barriers and welcoming large groups of people.
He told Metro.co.uk: “The most important thing for us is creating a natural space where people can come and experience nature and be there.”
The festival had a more subdued and well-kept feel than I usually enjoy, but overall I’d say it went well.
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