Avebury henge and stone circles

While visiting Oxfordshire, England, in August 2018, I had the opportunity to visit Avebury, the largest henge monument in Britain. This amazing Neolithic site is located in Wiltshire County (and not far from the worth-a-stop market village of Marlborough).

Just a 36-minute drive from Stonehenge, this henge — a huge, circular bank and inner ditch — is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in its own right. It contains a stone circle and two more stone circles inside that. One could combine it with a visit to Stonehenge, but I felt it was better visited on its own.

Dating to approximately 2600 BC, Avebury is spread over a wide set of fields. I enjoyed slowly meandering through the fields and amongst the stones.

Unlike at Stonehenge, at Avebury I was able to walk right up to the stones, even gently touching them to feel their energy. I felt a sense of those who once brought these special stones to this place.

Avebury also has museums, a manor house and various eateries.

EDNA R.S. ALVAREZ
Los Angeles, CA