DOCSLIB.ORG

Magazine Summer 2011 Plan Your Walk

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

10magazine summer 2011

Southern England

Avebury, Wiltshire

  • l
  • l
  • l

Distance 18km/11 miles time 6½hrs type Countryside

FitNess
NavigatioN

2

2

  • level 2
  • level 2

plan your walk

Cheltenham oxford gloucester

swindon

Reading

Bristol

  • Bath
  • aveBURY

salisbury

Where: Circular walk from avebury, Wiltshire.

Start/end: the Red Lion,

avebury (sU103699).

Taking in the first section of the cloak optional). at the end of

terrain: Unmarked but

straightforward footpaths

over open, chalky farmland with plenty of historic monuments for easy

navigation.

Great Stones Way, this ‘taster’ route starts and ends inside the prehistoric stone circle at Avebury and follows the proposed trail as far south as the Neolithic long barrow

the field, cross two stiles and continue beside the road, keeping to the L of the field. things become a bit unclear

as you approach the farm, so you can play it safe by walking
MapS: os explorer 157;

Landranger 173.

known as Adam’s Grave. It then alongside the B4003, R along a joins part of a possible diversion brief section of the a4 and then on the Great Stones Way to pass L down gunsite Road, before

GettinG there: Nearest

mainline train station is in

swindon (✆ 08457 484950, www.nationalrail.co.uk). From there, bus number 49 runs from swindon to avebury hourly Monday to saturday and every two hours on sundays and Bank Holidays

one of Wiltshire’s eight famous

joining the White Horse trail.

white horses, before heading back towards Avebury via other 2. Head east (L) on the prehistoric sites like the West

signposted trail for half a mile,

Kennet long Barrow and Silbury then take the first L until you Hill. Along the way, you’ll get a

come to the road heading into

taste of the landscape and chalk east Kennet. at this point you escarpment that characterises much of the full 61km/38-mile Way, but with a much more peaceful grand finale in Avebury than at crowded Stonehenge.

may wish to divert to see the sanctuary, a stone circle believed

to be older than avebury’s.
(✆ 0871 200 2233, www.traveline.org.uk).

eatinG & drinkinG:

the Red Lion, avebury (✆ 01672 539266, www.red-lion-pub-avebury. co.uk) – a beautiful

3. in either case, pass through

east Kennet and keep R when the road splits. after passing through

a farm gate, keep your eye out

1. START after taking in the

avebury stone circle, make your way south down the ceremonial for the trail leading off and up to

West Kennet avenue (druid’s

the L. You’re now on the ancient thatched pub within

continued...

Avebury’s stone circle. Sleeping: The Lodge, a vegetarian B&B, Avebury (✆ 01672 539 023,

1

  • T
  • STAR

FINISH

www.aveburylodge.co.uk).

ViSitor information:

Avebury TIC, Green Street (✆ 01672 539179, www.visitwiltshire.co.uk).

8

guidebookS: Avebury: Biography of a Landscape by

Joshua Pollard and Andrew Reynolds (£19, The History Press, ISBN 0752419579).

2
7

local ramblerS group:

Wiltshire Ramblers (✆ 01793 740450,

3

www.ramblers-wilts.org.uk).

6

Ridgeway and will soon climb above the countryside, with a beautiful valley on your R. Look back at Avebury’s stones and Silbury Hill in the distance.

5

4. After passing through a wooded way you’ll emerge at the top of Wansdyke. Carry on straight down, pass the parking lot on your L and then head uphill towards the Adam’s Grave Long Barrow. Though there is a path to the top, resist the urge to walk upon this ancient monument – a stroll around the perimeter reveals the same view.

4

Map not to scale. Representation of

5. From here, the proposed Great Stones Way heads south into the Vale of Pewsey, but the route’s planners have also proposed a circular sidetrack that heads west past the White Horse hill figure. So carry on along the escarpment, following the White Horse Trail, and take a L at the second footpath until you come to the three-way junction of the trail.

OS Explorer MAP 157 1:25,000

www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk

described by English Heritage as ‘one of the largest and most impressive Neolithic chambered tombs in Britain’. back towards East Kennet. Keep an eye out for burial mounds and the East Kennet Long Barrow, on your R.

8. Re-cross the A4 and pass Silbury Hill on your L before making your way up the White Horse Trail back into Avebury and along the high street.
7. Retrace your steps back towards West Kennet but head straight across at Gunsite Road this time. Just after this you can divert again to visit the West Kennet Long Barrow, aptly
6. You’ll leave the Great Stones Way entirely at this point, following the White Horse Trail

Route devised by Chris Hatherill

Recommended publications
  • Section II: Summary of the Periodic Report on the State of Conservation

    Section II: Summary of the Periodic Report on the State of Conservation

    State of Conservation of World Heritage Properties in Europe SECTION II thus defined on the basis of criteria I and III and UNITED KINGDOM ultimately criterion II. In this connection ICOMOS would like to recall that already in the 12th century Stonehenge, Avebury and Stonehenge was considered as one of the wonders of the world by the chroniclers Henry de Huntington Associated Sites and Geoffrey de Monmouth and that in the 17th century, Stonehenge was the focus of a study by Brief description the great architect Inigo Jones. Stonehenge and Avebury, in Wiltshire, are among The early and unwavering interest for this the most famous groups of megaliths in the world. megalithic ensemble which serves as a benchmark, The two sanctuaries consist of circles of menhirs has left its mark upon historiography, the evolution arranged in a pattern whose astronomical of architectural theories and the progress of significance is still being explored. These holy prehistoric sciences. places and the nearby Neolithic sites are an incomparable testimony to prehistoric times. Committee Decision Bureau (1986): The Bureau requested the United 1. Introduction Kingdom authorities to study possible solution to the problem of the A 344 main road crossing the Year(s) of Inscription 1986 avenue at Stonehenge (detour, digging of a tunnel, Agency responsible for site management etc.). It would be desirable for the Committee to be informed of the progress of these studies at its next • Mailing Address(es) meeting. English Heritage - Stonehenge The Close 65 Committee (1986): The Committee noted with SP1 2EN Salisbury satisfaction the assurances provided by the Wiltshire authorities of the United Kingdom that the closure United Kingdom of the road which crosses the avenue at e-mail: [email protected] Stonehenge was receiving serious consideration as part of the overall plans for the future management website: www.english-heritage.org.uk/stonehenge of the site.
  • Stonehenge and Avebury WHS Management Plan 2015 Summary

    Stonehenge and Avebury WHS Management Plan 2015 Summary

    Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites World Heritage Site Management Plan Summary 2015 Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites World Heritage Site Management Plan Summary 2015 1 Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site Vision The Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site is universally important for its unique and dense concentration of outstanding prehistoric monuments and sites which together form a landscape without parallel. We will work together to care for and safeguard this special area and provide a tranquil, rural and ecologically diverse setting for it and its archaeology. This will allow present and future generations to explore and enjoy the monuments and their landscape setting more fully. We will also ensure that the special qualities of the World Heritage Site are presented, interpreted and enhanced where appropriate, so that visitors, the local community and the whole world can better understand and value the extraordinary achievements © K020791 Historic England © K020791 Historic of the prehistoric people who left us this rich legacy. Avebury Stone Circle We will realise the cultural, scientific and educational potential of the World Heritage Site as well as its social and economic benefits for the community. © N060499 Historic England © N060499 Historic Stonehenge in summer 2 Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites World Heritage Site Management Plan Summary 2015 Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites World Heritage Site Management Plan Summary 2015 1 World Heritage Sites © K930754 Historic England © K930754 Historic Arable farming in the WHS below the Ridgeway, Avebury The Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites World Heritage Site is internationally important for its complexes of outstanding prehistoric monuments. Stonehenge is the most architecturally sophisticated prehistoric stone circle in the world, while Avebury is Stonehenge and Avebury were inscribed as a single World Heritage Site in 1986 for their outstanding prehistoric monuments the largest.
  • How to Tell a Cromlech from a Quoit ©

    How to Tell a Cromlech from a Quoit ©

    How to tell a cromlech from a quoit © As you might have guessed from the title, this article looks at different types of Neolithic or early Bronze Age megaliths and burial mounds, with particular reference to some well-known examples in the UK. It’s also a quick overview of some of the terms used when describing certain types of megaliths, standing stones and tombs. The definitions below serve to illustrate that there is little general agreement over what we could classify as burial mounds. Burial mounds, cairns, tumuli and barrows can all refer to man- made hills of earth or stone, are located globally and may include all types of standing stones. A barrow is a mound of earth that covers a burial. Sometimes, burials were dug into the original ground surface, but some are found placed in the mound itself. The term, barrow, can be used for British burial mounds of any period. However, round barrows can be dated to either the Early Bronze Age or the Saxon period before the conversion to Christianity, whereas long barrows are usually Neolithic in origin. So, what is a megalith? A megalith is a large stone structure or a group of standing stones - the term, megalith means great stone, from two Greek words, megas (meaning: great) and lithos (meaning: stone). However, the general meaning of megaliths includes any structure composed of large stones, which include tombs and circular standing structures. Such structures have been found in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, North and South America and may have had religious significance. Megaliths tend to be put into two general categories, ie dolmens or menhirs.
  • Silbury Hill – А Case Study with LANDSCAPE ARCHAEOLOGY: SILBURY HILL – a CASE STUDY LIONEL LIONEL SIMS LIONEL SIMS

    Silbury Hill – А Case Study with LANDSCAPE ARCHAEOLOGY: SILBURY HILL – a CASE STUDY LIONEL LIONEL SIMS LIONEL SIMS

    VI. LANDSCAPE ARCHAEOLOGY AND ARCHAEOASTRONOMY INTEGRATING ARCHAEOASTRONOMY Integrating Archaeology: with Landscape ArchaeoastronomySilbury Hill – а Case Study WITH LANDSCAPE ARCHAEOLOGY: SILBURY HILL – A CASE STUDY LIONEL LIONEL SIMS LIONEL SIMS Abstract Weaknesses in both archaeoastronomy and landscape archaeology can be overcome by their combination. This is demonstrat- ed through a new interpretation of Silbury Hill in Avebury, Wiltshire. If monuments in their local landscape are considered as one choice in a system of alternatives, tests can be devised to intepret the prehistoric builders‘ intentions. This exercise finds that the builders chose a prescriptive arrangement of views of Silbury Hill to simulate a facsimile of the moon entering and returning from the underworld. Key words: dark moon, crescent moon, paired alignments, Silbury Hill, West Kennet Avenue, Beckhampton Avenue, Ave- bury, underworld. Introduction with a level circular summit platform.To date, no con- vincing explanation as to its meaning has been offered. Archaeoastronomy has to move on from the legacy of Archaeologists have long expected that excavating the the Thom paradigm if it is to prove its relevance to sci- interior of the hill would reveal burials or deposited ar- ence (Sims 2006). Over the last three decades the dis- tefacts that would provide the clues to its decoding. In cipline has established robust field methods procedures spite of the many tunnels that have been dug, so much and, in so doing, falsified Thom‘s claim for a prehis- so that the Hill has now to be rescued from imminent toric precision astronomy (Thom 1971; Ruggles 1999; collapse, no burials have been found nor interpretive Hoskin 2001, Belmonte 2006; Schaefer 1993; North breakthroughs made.
  • 'Analysis of a Possible Prehistoric

    'Analysis of a Possible Prehistoric

    OS Grid Ref: TQ 57045 39336 ‘Analysis Of A Possible Prehistoric Tumulus And Related Monuments – Rusthall, Kent’ By Nigel T Stapple BSc (Hons) – Landscape investigator, WKDArchaeology March 2019 Photo: SW view of the Rusthall ‘Tumulus’ - Tunbridge Wells Golf Club (Jan 2019) Disclaimer: This review is not intended as a definitive statement as to the validity of the proposed archaeology. It merely offers one possible interpretation of the landscape features in the absence of an unequivocal modern context. More so, this review is not presented as an academic paper nor implied as such. The views expressed are the authors own and subject to broad interpretation. All research & photos ©N T Stapple unless otherwise stated. Introduction Preliminary research began back in 2017 at two areas of interest in Rusthall. The author became intrigued be an isolated sandstone outcrop close to the junction of Rusthall Road and Langton Road, near the house known as ‘Dingly Dell’. Surviving in a heavily modified post medieval landscape, its presence, in the modern landscape, seemed unusual. Measuring approximately 5m x 1.5m x 1m, above ground, it showed clear evidence of being quarried. Given its form and size the author postulated that it may have in fact been the remains of a former standing stone, preserved in antiquity. This hypothesis was later backed up by confirmation of a large pit found at the western end of the stone and visible as a parch mark in 2018. [Fig 1.]. This was thought to be a ‘slot’ for the ‘standing’ stone. Figure 1: Rusthall 'Standing Stone' - Summer 2018 Information regarding the stone had previously been presented to Kent County Council (KCC) representatives and the stone is documented in several of the authors earlier reviews of on-going research.
  • Silbury Hill & Avebury Circle, Wiltshire

    Silbury Hill & Avebury Circle, Wiltshire

    Silbury Hill & Avebury Circle, Wiltshire Place To Visit Location & Access: Avebury is located at SU 102 699. It can be accessed via the A4 from Marlborough (6 miles to the east), the A4361 from Swindon (10 miles to the north east), the A361 from Devizes (8 miles to the south west), and the A4 from Calne (6 miles to the west). There is a National Trust car park at Avebury. Buses runs from Marlborough and Calne (service 42) and from Swindon and Devizes (service 49). Silbury is located at SU 099 686. It can be accessed via the A4 road, roughly halfway between Marlborough and Calne. There is a car park and viewpoint next to Silbury on the A4. Avebury South West Quadrant Key Geography: World Heritage Site containing a prehistoric chalk mound, Neolithic stone barrow, Neolithic henge and stone circle. Sarsen sandstone. Description: Silbury Hill is part of the sacred landscape of Neolithic and Bronze Age ceremonial sites centred on Avebury. It is the world’s largest prehistoric chalk-built mound, constructed between 2450 and 2350 BC. Although it is only 31 metres high, the whole of nearby Stonehenge would fit on the flattened top with plenty of room to spare. A huge ditch surrounds the feature, and digging it provided the soil and chalk to build the mound. Although it is not possible to climb Silbury, it is easily accessible from a nearby car park and viewpoint. However, the best way to approach this unusual historic feature is a two mile stroll along a footpath from Avebury village.
  • Architecture and Meaning in the Structure of Stonehenge, Wiltshire, UK Timothy Darvill

    Architecture and Meaning in the Structure of Stonehenge, Wiltshire, UK Timothy Darvill

    Houses of the Holy: architecture and meaning in the structure of Stonehenge, Wiltshire, UK Timothy Darvill Timothy Darvill is Professor of Archaeology in the Department of Archaeology, Anthropology and Forensic Science, Bournemouth University, UK. His research interests lie in the Neolithic of Northwest Europe and in archaeological resource management, and he has carried out fieldwork in Germany, Russia, Malta, England, Wales, and the Isle of Man. In 2008, together with Geoff Wainwright, he undertook excavations inside the stone circles at Stonehenge as part of ongoing research into the links between Stonehenge and the sources of the Bluestones in the Preseli Hills of southwest Wales. He is a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of Time & Mind. [email protected]. Abstract Stonehenge in central southern England is internationally known. Recent re-evaluations of its date and construction sequence provides an opportunity to review the meaning and purpose of key structural components. Here it is argued that the central stone structures did not have a single purpose but rather embody a series of symbolic representations. During the early third millennium this included a square-in- circle motif representing a sacred house or ‘big house’ edged by the five Sarsen Trilithons. During the late third millennium BC, as house styles changed, some of the stones were re-arranged to form a central oval setting that perpetuated the idea of the a sacred dwelling. The Sarsen Circle may have embodied a time- reckoning system based on the lunar month. From about 2500 BC more than 80 bluestones were brought to the site from sources in the Preseli Hills of west Wales about 220km distant.
  • The Social Archaeology of Megalithic Monuments

    The Social Archaeology of Megalithic Monuments

    The Social Archaeology of Megalithic Monuments The change from simple tombs to elaborate henges in the Neolithic period of western Europe appears to have coincided with the rise of centralized political control by Colin Renfrew ver the past two decades many ments were the unaided work of the bar­ Europe, but at least one can begin to prehistorians have moved be­ barian peoples of European prehistory. think about them in social terms. O yond the concept of re-creating The absence of metal objects in them Although the structures may have had the past in terms of culture history indicated that their makers were the other functions, most of them served as toward a concept of "process" that seeks simple farmers of the New Stone Age, tombs. In some areas, notably in Britain, to explain past events rather than being but before the development of absolute there are prehistoric stone monuments content to narrate them. As Kent V. dating techniques their actual age could of other kinds, notably the great stone Flannery of the University of Michigan only be estimated. circles of Stonehenge, Avebury and the has put it, some New World archaeolo­ Did the structures represent the influ­ Ring of Brogar in the Orkneys. In Britta­ gists are not "ultimately concerned with ence of more advanced ideas, percolat­ ny great "alignments" of standing stones 'the Indian behind the artifact' but rath­ ing from areas that supported high cul­ arrayed in parallel rows three-quarters er with the system behind both the Indi­ tures, such as Crete and Greece, west­ of a mile long are found at Carnac.
  • Archaeological Research Agenda for the Avebury World Heritage Site

    Archaeological Research Agenda for the Avebury World Heritage Site

    This volume draws together contributions from a number of specialists to provide an agenda for future research within the Avebury World Heritage Site. It has been produced in response to the English Heritage initiative for the development of regional and period research frameworks in England and represents the first formal such agenda for a World Heritage Site. Following an introduction setting out the background to, need for and development of the Research Agenda, the volume is presented under a series of major headings. Part 2 is a resource assessment arranged by period from the Lower Palaeolithic to the end of the medieval period (c. AD 1500) together with an assessment of the palaeo-environmental data from the area. Part 3 is the Research Agenda itself, again arranged by period but focusing on a variety of common themes. A series of more over-arching, landscape-based themes for environmental research is also included. In Part 4 strategies for the implementation of the Research Agenda are explored and in Part 5 methods relevant for that implementation are presented. Archaeological Research Agenda for the Avebury World Heritage Site Avebury Archaeological & Historical Research Group (AAHRG) February 2001 Published 2001 by the Trust for Wessex Archaeology Ltd Portway House, Old Sarum Park, Salisbury SP4 6EB Wessex Archaeology is a Registered Charity No. 287786 on behalf of English Heritage and the Avebury Archaeological & Historical Research Group Copyright © The individual authors and English Heritage all rights reserved British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue entry for this book is available from the British Library ISBN 1–874350–36–1 Produced by Wessex Archaeology Printed by Cromwell Press Ltd, Trowbridge The cost of this publication was met by English Heritage Front Cover: Avebury: stones at sunrise (© English Heritage Photographic Library.
  • Introduction

    Introduction

    WILTSHIRE ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY WILTSHIRE MUSEUM - ACCESS STATEMENT This Access Statement is a description of our current facilities and the services we offer, to enable you to make an informed decision as to whether we meet your access needs. To ensure the Statement remains current and relevant the Wiltshire Museum website (www.wiltshiremuseum.org.uk) is referred to or appendices attached. Introduction Set in the historic market town of Devizes the Wiltshire Museum is housed in Georgian and Victorian buildings – all Grade II listed, in a residential area of similar buildings. The Museum has been located here since 1874 and contains the largest collection of Early Bronze Age gold ever put on public display in England. Award-winning displays transform public understanding of the era and feature 500 Stonehenge period objects, including 30 pieces of gold treasure, together with archaeology, art, natural history, local history, and an Archive and Library which is open to the public. Our Mission is to inspire people to explore the archaeology, history and environment of Wiltshire. 1. Pre-Arrival and Museum Attractions .................................................................................................................................. 2 2. Museum Opening Hours ...................................................................................................................................................... 3 3. Location and Transport ........................................................................................................................................................
  • 1 Children of the Stones

    1 Children of the Stones

    Children of the Stones: Prehistoric Sites in British Children’s Fantasy, 1965-2005 Charles Butler, University of the West of England The Uses of Prehistory Henges, standing stones, barrows, ancient trackways and other types of prehistoric site are common features in British children‘s fantasy fiction. As reminders of, and sometimes portals to, the past, they are natural subjects for any writer for whom questions of history and belief exercise a fascination. Here we can touch and gaze upon objects that were important to those who came before us. Indeed, we are looking at the work of their hands, which stands as a complex and mute puzzle, an empathetic conundrum of the kind novels seem well suited to explore. Who were these people? Why did they go to so much effort, over such a long period? What was it like to be them? These perennially elusive questions form one major aspect of the monuments‘ appeal to writers, as to other people. Another consists simply in the longevity of the monuments themselves, which have stood, relatively unchanged, through so much human history. British children‘s fantasies of the 1960s and ‗70s in particular are often characterized by a concern to ‗connect‘ with the past; and prehistoric monuments can easily be called to the service of this humanist project. Beyond such general observations, however, we can point to several more specific roles that have been played by prehistoric monuments in fantasy fiction, roles that derive in varying degrees from such external discourses as archaeology, folklore, and New Age theories. In what follows I shall attempt a brief survey of these roles, before considering the ways in which one in particular – the use of prehistoric sites as portals to other worlds – is exploited in Alan Garner‘s Elidor (1965) and Catherine Fisher‘s Darkhenge (2005), two texts which stand as chronological book-ends to my discussion.
  • Avebury, Wiltshire: Archaeology and History (Summary for Visitors Prepared by the Royal Archaeological Institute, 2017)

    Avebury, Wiltshire: Archaeology and History (Summary for Visitors Prepared by the Royal Archaeological Institute, 2017)

    Avebury, Wiltshire: archaeology and history (summary for visitors prepared by the Royal Archaeological Institute, 2017) Together with Stonehenge (see separate on-line entry), Avebury and the area around it are part of the World Heritage Site. As well as the henge and the avenues, the West Kennet long barrow, Silbury Hill (see separate on-line entry) and other archaeological monuments are included in the WHS, but substantial areas are privately owned and can only be visited by public paths, such as the track called the Ridgeway across Overton Down; until recently that was thought to have been the only prehistoric north-south route, but has been shown to be no more than one of several tracks that can be identified as a ‘Ridgeway zone’ in the area (Fowler 2000, 254-7). The Avebury part of the World Heritage Site (map from Leivers and Powell 2016, 4, reproduced by courtesy of Wessex Archaeology) Avebury in Prehistory. By Joshua Pollard By the second quarter of the fourth millennium B.C., Neolithic communities were well established in the area around the headwaters of the River Kennet. It is during this period that we witness the beginnings of monument building, and on quite a scale, with the construction of several of the region’s long barrows, including that at West Kennet, and the enclosure on Windmill Hill. The latest fourth and earliest third millennia B.C. may have been a relatively quiet time in terms of monument building within this landscape, but visits to and deposition at early Neolithic Windmill Hill and several of the region’s long barrows occurred, and part of the outer circuit of the Windmill Hill enclosure was re-defined.