Avebury

Monday, 15th May 2006 by

Although not as famous as the nearby Stonehenge the henge of Avebury is larger and older; dating back to around 5000 years ago. The standing stones are arranged in a circle with a 400m diameter, on a raised piece of land which has a deep external ditch, and surrounds the tiny village of the same name.

It is one of the largest Neolithic monuments in Europe but what's really cool about Avebury is that, unlike Stonehenge, you can walk right up to and around the stones. In fact, in a move that would probably have upset those who assembled the stone circle, the A351 road cuts straight through the middle.

There's even more megaliths extending to the West and South in two "avenues" and you can follow the southward avenue down to the Sanctury, where another stone circle once stood. At one time there were around 600 megaliths making up the stone circles and avenues.

Thanks: Ben Moore & Dee