Avebury Historical Facts and Pictures

Containing three stone circles, the Neolithic henge monument of Avebury is located in Wiltshire, England. Considered as one of the most popular pre-historic sites in Britain, Avebury occupies Europe’s largest stone circle.

Avebury

Structure and Layout

Comprising a large henge with one vast outer stone circle and two smaller stone circles within the center, the monument was constructed around 2600 BCE. Containing several nearby monuments, including Sillbury Hill and West Kennet Long Barrow, Avebury was part of a larger prehistoric setting. Although the original purpose of this site is still in doubts, archaeological surveys have assumed it was probably used for some sort of ceremony or ritual.

Avebury Pictures

Avebury Silbury Hill Gobeirne

Chalk Horse Near Avebury

The Henge and the Stone Circles

The henge monument of Avebury is encircled by a 460 yards large bank accompanied by a 69 ft. wide and 26 ft. deep internal ditch.

Within the henge, the outer stone circle of Avebury, regarded as the largest stone circle in Europe with a diameter of 1088 ft., was comprised of 98 sarsen standing stones.

Avebury Henge and Village

Avebury South Inner Circle

The Barber Stone Avebury Great Circle

Near to the center of the monument are situated 2 additional stone circles, separated between the northern and southern inner circles. The northern inner ring contains 4 standing stones of which only 2 remain upright, along with a cove of 3 stones placed in the middle.

Avebury The Stone Avenue

Avebury West Kennet Avenue

The site is now a chalkstone bank of 1396 ft. in diameter, covered with grass. Its multiple rings are enclosed with mysteries, which have not yet been unraveled by archaeologists. A Cherchill white horse figure is located on a nearby hill, which was created in 1780 by engraving it with chalk after cutting the grass away of the hill.

Avebury Images

Avebury Barn Gallery of the Alexander Keiller Museum