We already talked about Stonehenge near Salisbury. Although Stonehenge is one of the most visited sites in London Avebury Henge gets little notice. It too has a large stone circle; in fact it is the largest in Europe. It also has a prehistoric mound called Silsbury Hill. Since Avebury is only thirty miles from Salisbury, you should plan to see them both.
One difference between Stonehenge and Avebury Henge is that you can walk around and touch the stones at Avebury Henge. Because of abuse by tourists, at Stonehenge there are ropes around the stones so you really can’t get up close and personal. Avebury’s stone circle dates to around 2600 B.C. No one really knows the exact age or why the circle of boulders was created. Some people actually think extra-terrestrials created the circle. Another train of thought is that witchcraft was the purpose or that giants created the circle to fight God. None of these is the least bit scientific so take them with a grain of salt.
Historians speculate that at one time there were as many as one hundred stones, but through the years, many have been broken or disappeared entirely. In the thirties an archeologist was hired to check-out the area. He found the body of a small boy. He is thought to be from pre-historic times. He was named Charlie and is on display in the Alexander Keiller Museum in Avebury.
The town itself isn’t much; it is very quiet and contented off the beaten path. Maybe that is the beauty of the place. You can come see the stones up close without worrying about hordes of tourists. When you visit Stonehenge consider giving Avebury Henge a visit too.
Ellery Coleman
One difference between Stonehenge and Avebury Henge is that you can walk around and touch the stones at Avebury Henge. Because of abuse by tourists, at Stonehenge there are ropes around the stones so you really can’t get up close and personal. Avebury’s stone circle dates to around 2600 B.C. No one really knows the exact age or why the circle of boulders was created. Some people actually think extra-terrestrials created the circle. Another train of thought is that witchcraft was the purpose or that giants created the circle to fight God. None of these is the least bit scientific so take them with a grain of salt.
Historians speculate that at one time there were as many as one hundred stones, but through the years, many have been broken or disappeared entirely. In the thirties an archeologist was hired to check-out the area. He found the body of a small boy. He is thought to be from pre-historic times. He was named Charlie and is on display in the Alexander Keiller Museum in Avebury.
The town itself isn’t much; it is very quiet and contented off the beaten path. Maybe that is the beauty of the place. You can come see the stones up close without worrying about hordes of tourists. When you visit Stonehenge consider giving Avebury Henge a visit too.
Ellery Coleman
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