Avebury is the largest stone circle in the world. It is also one of the oldest, dating from 2500 to 2200 BC. Today, more than 30 stones are in place, pillars show where missing stones would have been. The sheer scale of this place is massive, evidenced by the massive bank and ditch that line the circle.
Avebury is an open-air museum of prehistory, with a complex of fascinating Neolithic sites all gathered around the great stone henge (circle). Among England’s many stone circles, Avebury is unique for its vast size – a village is tucked into its center, and roads rumble between the stones.
Because the surrounding area sports only a thin skin of topsoil over chalk, it is naturally treeless (similar to the area around Stonehenge). Perhaps this unique landscape – where the land connects with the big sky – made it the choice of prehistoric societies for their religious monuments.
Whatever the case, Avebury dates to 2800 BC – six centuries older than Stonehenge.
Avebury is 1,400 feet wide – that’s 16 times as big as Stonehenge. It’s so vast that it dwarfs the village that grew up in its midst. All are free to wander among 100 stones, ditches, mounds, and curious patterns from the past.
It begs to be explored. You can touch a chunk of prehistory. While even just a short walk to a few stones is rewarding, you can stroll the entire half-mile around the circle, much of it along an impressive earthwork henge – a 30-foot higher outer bank surrounding a ditch 30 feet deep, making a 60-foot-high rampart.