Avebury rivals - some would say exceeds - Stonehenge as the
largest, most impressive and complex prehistoric site in Britain.
Built and altered over many centuries from about 2850 BC to 2200
BC, it now appears as a huge circular bank and ditch, enclosing an
area of 281⁄2 acres (111⁄2 hectares), including part of
Avebury village. Within this 'henge' ditch is an inner circle of
great standing stones, enclosing two more stone circles, each with
a central feature.
The site's present appearance owes much to the marmalade heir
Alexander Keiller, who excavated and re-erected many stones during
the 1930s, and whose archaeological collections are displayed in
the nearby museum. Associated with pagan devil-worship, many stones
had been broken or buried in medieval and later times, one crushing
its destroyer as it fell.
Avebury is part of a wider Neolithic landscape, with many other
ritual sites in English Heritage care.West Kennet Avenue joined it
to The Sanctuary, and another stone avenue connected it with
Beckhampton.West Kennet Long Barrow and Windmill Hill are also
nearby, as is the huge and mysterious Silbury Hill. This
extraordinary assemblage of sites seemingly formed a huge 'sacred
landscape', whose use and purpose can still only be guessed at.
Avebury and its surroundings have, with Stonehenge, achieved
international recognition as a World Heritage Site.
Avebury Stone Circle,West Kennet Avenue and Long Barrow, The
Sanctuary and Windmill Hill are managed by The National Trust on
behalf of English Heritage.
