Avebury is an impressive stone circle.  It is a true henge with a huge circular bank and ditch.  Huge as in the bank is a mile around… and even though the ditch is impressive, it is only half its original depth.

It is the largest stone circle in Europe.  We’ve read that it is approximately 14 times larger and 500 years older than the more famous Stonehenge.  More stats if you want them… there are about 650 massive stones arranged in circles and avenues.

It’s one of our favorites not because of its great size, but because we felt like we discovered it all by ourselves the first time we went.  It doesn’t get the publicity that Stonehenge does.

Its stones are not as finely sculpted and finished, but you can wander among the stones and somehow feel the ancient power of the place.

There are two ceremonial avenues of standing stones departing from the main ring.  You can wander along one… the West Kennet Avenue.

It was originally 1.5 miles long (2.5 km) and connected Avebury to another small stone circle called “The Sanctuary” on Overton Hill.

This was originally a wooden circle with sarsen stones added later.  Today all that can be seen are concrete markers showing the former positions of the circles.

Avebury receives more visitors all the time.  If you arrive on a Bank Holiday, like we did one time, you will say, “Wow, how can anyone say this is undiscovered and uncrowded!”

Plan to arrive in the middle of a quiet, non-holiday week, and you will feel like you have it pretty much to yourself.

The beauty of Avebury is that there is a village right there.  In fact the 400 year old Red Lion Pub sits within the stone circle.  Where else can you get a bite to eat and a pint inside a stone circle?

Just a little south are other interesting sites… Silbury Hill is the largest man-made prehistoric mound in Europe.  The base is perfectly round.

A short distance from Silbury Hill is a neolithic burial site called the West Kennet Long Barrow.  It is visible from Silbury Hill.  This barrow was probably in use for 1,000 years for multiple burials.

The mound itself is 110 yards long (100 meters)… a long barrow indeed.  You can walk to it from Avebury (about 1.5 miles, 2.5 km) or from Silbury Hill (1 mile, 1.6 km) or you can park nearby and walk to explore it (1/2 mile, 0.8 km).

Avebury lies about 24 miles (39 km) north of Stonehenge and is part of the Stonehenge World Heritage Site.  You can easily spend a full day hiking peacefully around the stones and earthworks.

There are several B&Bs in the village.  An information center can help find a room, or you can ask at the Red Lion Pub… if you’re lucky, you might just snag one of their basic rooms and get to sleep in a stone circle!