AVEBURY needs no introduction and the Avebury complex is a truly magical place. It is said to date from 3700BC when work on West Kennet Long Barrow was begun. The stone circle and surrounding henge that you see in the village is only a small part of the monument which remains today, the rest was unfortunately eradicated in past centuries. The two inner circles were completed first at around 2600BC, the outer ring and henge around 2500BC. Originally there were about 100 of these stones only 27 of which remain. Highlights of Avebury are the Diamond Stone and the Devils Chair both of which have attracted folklore to them, dont miss the Sphinx Stone and the carving of the Anti-Serpent Bishop on the church font! The Sanctuary is also well signed-posted just up the road from Avebury, sadly time wasn't on my side and I had to save that till next time, however my watch "lost"15 minutes somewhere in Avebury and gained it back afterwards. Odd but not odd! Plan to do some dowsing next time due to Avebury's alignment on the St. Michael and Mary Lines. It is an awe-inspiring place and can be appreciated further by the reading of "The Sun and the Serpent."
SILBURY HILL is the biggest man made mound in Europe, being some 130 feet high and 100 feet across its flat top surface. It was built around 2500BC with some of the chalk from the great henge at Avebury! It is built in a lattice structure of in-filled chalk walls and has been excavated on numerous occasions. Luckily back in 2000 I was able to gain access and climb to the top where the view is stunning across this very important landscape. The elevatation enabled me to focus and visualise how this landscape looked back then. King Sil is rumoured to be buried in it but I'm not sure about the golden horse. Like West Kennet Long Barrow, Silbury is also part of the Avebury Complex and is well signposted and you can't really miss it on the A4, also plenty of parking! Map Reference: SU100685
WEST KENNET LONG BARROW is part of the Avebury complex of Neolithic sites. It is one of the most impressive and well-preserved burial chambers in Britain and is well-signposted - Map Reference SU10577 on the A4! The burial chamber is only a small part of the mound and stretches 100 metres in an East-West orientation. The chamber extends 10 metres into the mound and consists of five separate chambers - two on either side of a narrow passage, which then opens up into a further chamber at the end. It thought to be constructed around 3500BC and was in use for a thousand years, until 2200BC, when the tomb was sealed with chalk rubble, and the gigantic Saracen boulders that now guard the entrance. This was at the same time as the great stone circle at Avebury was begun, and may signify a change in the focus of belief and religion. |
