usa > Top 15 Places to Visit > Avebury Stone Circle, Wiltshire

Avebury Stone Circle, Wiltshire

Avebury is considered one of the most important megalithic monuments in Europe, and along with Stonehenge, is one of South West England's 5 World Heritage sites. It was built from 2800 BC onwards with stones from surrounding hills and includes the largest stone circle in the world, which encompasses part of the village of Avebury itself.

The stones are based around a ditch and an external bank and this Neolithic stone circle and henge (bank and ditch) is a Scheduled Monument owned by the National Trust and under the protection of English Heritage. Avebury, with Stonehenge, was designated a World Heritage Site in 1986.

Many of the stones and several buildings and trees were cleared to expose the stone circle. To interpret the importance of the site and its archaeological history, the National Trust's Alexander Keiller Museum displays finds from the site and tells the story of the people who have helped reveal its past.

Avebury Stone Circle is visited free of charge by thousands of visitors every year and as well as the addition of the museum, has excellent additional facilities including a large car park, restaurant, pub, and shops.

Also worth a visit is Avebury Manor and Garden, a 16th century manor house of monastic design with an Edwardian-designed garden. The manor house is occupied and furnished by private leaseholders who open a part of it to visitors by guided tour on specified days of the week only.
www.english-heritage.org.uk/avebury
www.nationaltrust.org.uk

Stay either at luxury Lucknam Park near Bath, or at the Manor House Hotel in the picturesque village of Castle Combe.

Click here for suggested itineraries including Avebury.