Avebury

Avebury makes Stonehenge seem modest. This Neolithic henge monument is the largest stone circle in the world—so vast that a village sits within it, so ancient it predates Stonehenge, so accessible you can touch the stones, walk among them, even have lunch in a pub surrounded by them. Built around 2600 BC, Avebury represents one of humanity’s most ambitious prehistoric undertakings.

The scale is extraordinary. The outer circle measures 1,088 feet in diameter, large enough to contain two inner circles, a massive ditch and bank system, and the modern village of Avebury itself.

The Intimate Experience: Unlike Stonehenge where visitors are kept at distance, Avebury allows direct contact. You can touch these 4,600-year-old stones, photograph from any angle, sit beside them. This accessibility creates profoundly different experiences.

The village within the circle is genuinely odd—cottages, pub, church all existing inside this prehistoric temple. The Red Lion pub sits at the circle’s centre. 

The Wider Landscape: Avebury sits within a ritual landscape spanning square miles. Silbury Hill, Europe’s largest prehistoric man-made mound, rises mysteriously nearby. West Kennet Long Barrow invites exploration of atmospheric interior chambers.