"among the stones" a Avebury Travel Page by uglyscot

In October 2008 we were on our way to Avebury when it began pouring with rain, then hail, then snow ; so, we turned back and went home. This time we were heading for London when we got a phonecall that London was having rain and hail, whereas we, who were shopping in Bristol, were basking in sunshine. So, we decided to get off the motorway and wander through the minor roads. When we realised we were near Avebury, we changed direction and that became our new destination.
We saw a few cars parked in a layby and then noticed an avenue of standing stones leading off into the distance. After exploring there, we continued into the village and parked the car. There were stones everywhere, some were clearly seen to be in a circle. They are not huge and shaped like those at Stonehenge, but rough monoliths . It's the sheer number and the obvious layout that impressed me.

Avebury is the site of a large stone circle, which encloses part of the village and the pub. It is not easy to imagine the structure unless viewed from the air.
The stones are either long pillars [male] or diamond –shaped [female], suggesting the site might have been used for fertility rites. Archaeologists date it to about 2800 BC from plant and animal remains.

Nearby is the Neolithic West Kennet Long Barrow, one of the best preserved ancient barrows [burial chambers] in Wessex, and Silbury Hill, the largest man-made mound in Europe
The area has other interesting Neolithic sites
Nearby is the Neolithic West Kennet Long Barrow, one of the best preserved ancient barrows [burial chambers] in Wessex, and Silbury Hill, the largest man-made mound in Europe.

There are also some interesting buildings in the village, thatched cottages, the chapel and the village pub .The village pub is enclosed by the stone circles. and was very lively when we passed by it.