• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
Wandering Carol's

Luxury Travel Blog

The Unpretentious Guide to Luxury Travel

  • Home
  • About Wandering Carol
  • Destinations
    • Asia Travel
    • Caribbean Travel
    • Europe Travel
      • Austria
      • Czech Republic
      • England
      • France
      • Germany
      • Hungary
      • Ireland Travel
      • Italy
      • Spain
      • Switzerland
      • Wales
    • North America Travel
      • Canada Travel
      • Mexico Travel
      • USA Travel
  • Spas and Wellness
  • Experiences
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Romantic Travel
    • Sacred Places
    • Adventure
    • Solo Travel
  • Contact
Avebury stone circle in sunlight

Avebury stone circle

Luxury travel blog » Travel articles by country » Avebury stone circle
September 16, 2018 by Carol Perehudoff

This post may contain affiliate links.

Less crowded and more accessible than Stonehenge, Avebury Stone Circle is the largest stone circle in Britain. If you’re a fan of neolithic sights, mystical places and pagan hot spots, Avebury is a fascinating choice. Amazingly enough, it’s also free.

As I meandered through Avebury’s Red Lion Pub, I saw a sign on a chalkboard: Curious about Paganism? Who not visit the Avebury Pagan Moot? Sunday 3 p.m. 

Pub at Avebury Stone Circle
Pagan gathering at Red Lion Pub

 

By chance I was right on time, but glancing in at the front room of the 400-year old pub, I decided against going in. I amwascurious, but the earthy-looking women and burly bearded men inside looked a bit intimidating, like a wizarding version of a biker gang.

Mystical Avebury Stone Circle

Besides, I came to see Avebury Stone Circle not to sit in a pub. What was the point of discussing the mystical world of Avebury when I could be experiencing it for myself? Avebury, a Wiltshire village roughly 120 km west of London, is home to Britain’s largest stone circle. It’s Britain’s unsung mystical destination, certainly not as famous as its younger sister Stonehenge, 32 km to the south.

Stonehenge Avebury's younger sister
Stonehenge gets all the pagan buzz

 

But don’t discount the Avebury Stone Circle. It’s 500 years older than Stonhenge, 14 times larger and unlike Stonehenge, it’s accessible 24 hours a day. So accessible, in fact, that half the village is sitting inside it: the pub, a chapel, a couple of shops and two dissecting roads that loosely divide the circle into quadrants.

A mysterious stone circle with an unknown purpose

Visiting the Avebury Stone Circle was my chance to commune with the megalithic world, so after buying a guidebook at the Henge Shop I made my way to the south-west quadrant of the circle. Towering over a flock of grazing sheep was a curving row of sarsen stones weighing between 10 and 100 tons apiece.

Avebury stone circle and sheep
Popular with sheep

 

Grayish and weathered, the Avebury stones are surrounded by a deep circular ditch (or henge) dug out of the soft chalk ground by Neolithic tribes some 5000 years ago.

No one knows the Avebury Stone Circle’s purpose, though it’s believed to relate to the worship of a fertility goddess. The stones weren’t shaped but were chosen for their natural forms: rectangles to represent the male and diamonds the female.

Large stone at Avebury
Avebury rocks!

 

Originally, the large Avebury Stone Circle contained two smaller circles. One held a massive phallic-shaped Obelisk, now lost. The other, known as the Cove, was made up of three female stones (two of which still stand) that were aligned with the northerly rise of the moon.

New research suggests that before the circle was created, a massive 100-foot square outlined by giant stones stood on this spot, a previously unheard of design in the megalithic world. Even older, dating back to 3500 BC, was a rectangular house made of wood. And I won’t even get into the 20-foot obelisk that stood here. It just shows that Avebury hasn’t yet given up all its secrets – no wonder it’s a magnet for pagans today.

Oh, those pesky Christians

It’s a wonder it still stands because in the Middle Ages the Christians tried their best to ruin it. Believing that Avebury Stone Circle was the work of the devil, they started toppling and burying the stones, a practice that was only halted when one landed on a traveling surgeon-barber, prematurely entombing him.

Avebury stone circle in sunlight
Neolithic Avebury

 

Further destruction to Avebury Stone Circle came in the 17th century when many of the stones were cleared for farming. Finally, in the 1930’s a wealthy anthropologist, Alexander Keiller, spent today’s equivalent of £2 million to partially restore the site.

It’s about a kilometre and a half walk around the circle. After I did that I returned to the pub. When I walked in, I overheard a dark-haired woman say: “We all have a sacred myth. You just have to find out what it is. It lives you. You don’t live it.”

What’s your sacred myth?

I would have liked to find out how to find my sacred myth, if, in fact, I actually had one, but the conversation turned to the Avebury Stone Circle and how one small triangle contains a particular power.

“Which part is that?” I couldn’t help interrupting.

“All of it is powerful, but in different ways,” she said sagely.

“Powerful enough to make me break out in hives?” I held out my wrist which was sporting a pink circular welt with a blister inside –a mini stone circle. “The minute I got here I broke out in a rash.”

“I know what it might be,” she says, almost shyly. “It’s a healing place here. A lot of stuff works its way out of your body.”

Male and female stones Avebury
I think they’re talking to each other

 

That sounded better than massive allergy attack so I smiled at her. A pony-tailed man in black examined my wrist. “I can sort that out.” He ran out of the room. A few minutes later he was back holding a fragrant bundle of lavender. “Rub this on,” he said. “Lavender is very healing.”

Hanging with the pagans at the Avebury Stone Circle

Another man with a greying beard and a beret with a feather introduced himself as Terry the Druid. “We’re a mixed lot of pagans here,” he said, explaining that the man with the lavender was a Wiccan. Then he motioned to a clean-shaven young man strumming a guitar. “And he’s a minstrel.”

It was tempting to stay in this witchy universe all night, but as dusk hit I went back to explore. On the other side of town, past a muddy field is Silbury Hill, the largest manmade mound in Europe. Experts think it’s a burial sight, though they’ve dug three tunnels into it since the 18th century and it still hasn’t given up its secrets.

Silbury Hill Avebury Stone Circle
Sacred Silbury Hill

Wiltshire – A place of mysteries

Wiltshire is a place of historical secrets, and the Avebury Stone Circle isn’t the only thing to see. Past Silbury Hill is West Kennet Long Barrow, a multi-chambered tomb that dates back as far as 3500BC. There is also the Avenue, a stone-lined processional route that leads from the stone circle to the Sanctuary, the sight where a prehistoric temple once stood. As you can see, there are a lot of sacred sites in this corner of Britain, and I was trying to cram them all in.

When it was too dark to see anything else I backtracked to the stone circle. Maybe it was the influence of the pagans but I couldn’t help thinking that the centuries-old megaliths of the Avebury Stone Circle were humming with a deep earthy resonance. I sat down beside one, then lay flat on my back and looked at the stars. Who knew? If I waited long enough, maybe my sacred myth would turn up.

 

Travel tips for visiting Avebury Stone Circle

Pin me!

Avebury Stone Circle in England

Getting to Avebury: From London’s Paddington Station you can take a train to Swindon. Swindon is about 80 miles west of London and the fastest train is just under an hour. From Swindon you can take Bus 49 to Avebury. It’s operated by Stagecoach West and leaves from Prospect Station, Old Town. The bus ride is about 20 minutes.

Where is Avebury? It’s about 10 miles south of Swindon.

Where to stay in Avebury: Accommodation in town is limited. There are a few B&Bs such as Dorwyn Manor and B&B Haven, but I haven’t stayed at either. I stayed in a room at the Red Lion Pub but as far as I know this is no longer possible. You can check the Booking.com box below for ideas, prices and availability. (I’m an affiliate).



Booking.com

For more info on Britain go to www.visitbritain.com

Read more: about top places to visit in England. If you love mystical places visit the Hill of Tara in Ireland.

Read more: about my picks for top European destinations

Category: England, Sacred Places

About Carol Perehudoff

A former freelance travel columnist for the Toronto Star, Carol has won more than 30 writing awards and honours. A spa and luxury travel expert, she’s written for top travel publications around the globe.

Previous Post:Reverse culture shockReverse culture shock – 10 tips to get over it
Next Post:Luxury hotel review, Quito, Ecuador, Casa GangotenaCasa Gangotena luxury hotel in Quito review

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. culturetripper

    Avebury rocks, indeed! Loved this post, Carol, and anything to do with ancient British sites.

  2. fionamanonn

    Hey,
    this article is really helpful and images looks amazing.
    Thanks for sharing

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Sidebar

luxury travel blogger wandering carol on train

About Wandering Carol

In my 10+ years as a travel writer and columnist I've seen the best of what the world has to offer and written for some top publications around the globe - and now my goal is to bring this expertise to you. For more blah blah blah, visit my
About page.

Book Your Next Adventure

Booking.com

Connect with me online

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
Carol Perehudoff published in top media, logos for newspapers and magazines

How to Use This Site

  • Use the SEARCH BOX if you’re looking for something specific.
  • Click on the ‘DESTINATIONS’ tab on the top menu to see the countries we write about.
  • SUBSCRIBE to keep up with the latest articles and get tips to make your next journey inspiring.

Caribbean Travel

golden sand beach in Saint Lucia

14 Fun Things to Do in St Lucia

golden sunset in the caribbean

5 Ways to Budget and Plan a Luxury Caribbean Vacation

Paradisus Palma Real Beach, Dominican Republic

Paradisus Punta Cana and Paradisus Palma Real, tale of two paradises

Beautiful beach, affordable luxury Caribbean

Affordable luxury Caribbean – vacation tips and tricks

Welcome to this luxury travel magazine

Click around to find some top destinations and fab adventures - and put a spark in your life through travel.
Carol Perehudoff on the media, logos
Restored chapel in The Jaffa that shows why this is one of the best hotels in Tel Aviv

Hot Hotel Alert – The Jaffa in Tel Aviv

The Jaffa Hotel Review Once you leave The Jaffa, a ‘hip-meets-history’ luxury hotel in Yafo Tel Aviv, it’s all downhill. At least it was for me when I cycled down to the seafront promenade from the hotel’s perch above the Old Port of Jaffa. The bike, being from The Jaffa, was no ordinary battered rental …

Inspiration

“Who says you can’t run away?”

Share

  • https://www.facebook.com/pages/WanderingCarolcom-A-Luxury-Travel-Blog-for-those-who-Love-to-Laugh/1503397106575455
  • https://instagram.com/wanderingcarol/
  • http://pinterest.com/wanderingcarol
  • https://wanderingcarol.com/feed
  • http://twitter.com/WanderingCarol

Copyright © 2023 · Wandering Carol’s Seeking Elsewhere Magazine · All Rights Reserved · Disclosure and Privacy Policy

225 shares