Everybody knows about Stonehenge, that mysterious prehistoric circle of massive stones. But did you know there's another stone circle in England that's much larger, prettier, and even more fascinating? If you want to see an amazing place, check out Avebury.
Part of the large stone circle at Avebury, England
Built over 4,500 years ago, the monument at Avebury is impressive. This stone circle is over 1,000 feet across, and about 2/3 of a mile around. You could fit almost 10 Stonehenges inside it, side by side in a line. It's so large that the charming village of Avebury is partially located inside the circle.
The Avebury stone circle is inside a larger henge. (That's right, this is a stone-in-henge!) The henge is a large circular ditch, with a higher bank. Inside the large stone circle, there are also two smaller ones. Rings within rings!
Stonehenge and Avebury are both impressive, but Stonehenge is more crowded and aloof, while Avebury is more quaint and approachable. The two are just 24 miles from each other, so you can see both sites in a day, and draw your own comparisons.
Avebury is a picturesque place, with a lovely village and beautiful scenery. The last time I visited, there were cows grazing beside the stones. Very cool place!
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I just found an article about a new theory on Stonehenge. Some researchers now believe it was built to unify warring factions in southern Britain. Not sure how (or if) that would relate to the circle at Avebury, though.
http://www.stonepages.com/news/archives/004804.html
Ah, I am just a mine of information.. sadly the vast maotirjy is utterly useless!!! Actually I used to love visiting prehistoric sites. I really must get back into it. Sadly we do ot have an awful lot locally but there are some interesting iron age, roman and mediaeval places well worth a visit
It can be pretty fascinating to learn more about the history of your own area, yet many people don't visit the sites that are nearby. Not every adventure needs to be far away!