One of the most important megalithic monuments in Europe is
spread over a vast area at Avebury, much of it under Trust
protection.
The great stone circle, encompassing part of the village
of Avebury, is enclosed by a ditch and external bank and approached
by an avenue of stones.
Many of the stones were re-erected in the 1930s by the archaeologist
Alexander Keiller. The site museum, including an exhibition
in the 17th-century thatched threshing barn, presents the
archaeological story.
Finds from the site and interactive and audio-visual displays
are used to tell the story of the monuments and the people
who have helped to reveal their past.
Nearby, Windmill Hill was once the site of an important Neolithic
settlement and has several well-preserved Bronze Age burial
mounds. West of Avebury, the Iron Age earthwork of Oldbury
Castle crowns Cherhill Down, along with the conspicuous Lansdowne
Monument. With the spectacular folds of Calstone Coombes,
this area of open downland provides wonderful walking opportunities.
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