Leaving Bath, I was on my own and now back to Plan A. I had checked the map (remember, no Internet, Google Map or GPS) and decided to pay a visit to one of the mysteries of the Neolithic world - Stonehenge. However, on the way, I planned to stop at another Neolithic stone monument. The Avebury Stones is also a henge monument, technically, a henge enclosure constructed around 2600 BC and used for perhaps as long as a thousand years.
The site consists of an outer ring of stones surrounded by a ditch with a diameter of about 1380 feet that is approximately 70 feet wide and 36 feet deep. When you consider that the ditch was dug with tools such as antler
shovels, it was quite an achievement. Within the outer ditch, known as a henge, is a stone circle with a diameter of 1088 feet. This circle originally consisted of a total of 98 standing stones weighing up to 40 tons each varying in size from about 12 to 14 feet in height. About half of the original stones are still standing. The Avebury Stones is one of the largest stone circles in Europe.
Within the outer ring are two inner rings consisting of 200 stones of 322 feet and 354 feet respectively. These circles do not have a common center, but stand side by side. The sight is crossed by two causeways lined by small stones.
The purpose of the circle is, as usual for Neolithic constructs, is purely theoretical. Perhaps they represented the center of the universe for ancient people. Or they were used for ritual purposes including burial of the dead. A common theory is for astronomical purposes but the stones do not seem to align with any known astronomical phenomenon. Some theories postulate a relationship to the King Arthur legends or even that they were constructed by Native Americans who crossed the Atlantic in ancient times. Or mayhap they were used for an ancient game similar to “Duck, Duck, Goose” or “Musical Chairs”. As gooda theory as the others and can’t really be disproved.
Nearby the Stones lies another Noelithic monument - Silbury Hill. Rising 131 feet in the county of Wilshire, the chaulk mound is the largest prehistoric human-made mound in Europe and one of the largest in the world. With a diameter of 548 feet at the base, it covers an area of about 5.4 acres. It is similar in size to some of the smaller pyramids on the plain of Giza in Egypt. Construction began in about 4750BC and possibly took many years to complete.
Once again, the exact purpose of the mound is not known. Some say King Sil is buried there, but most trusted sources attribute it to seasonal rituals though many leave it as unknown.
As I left Silbury Hill, I was now headed to a site that had been of extreme interest to me for some years. How many times had I seen Stonehenge on TV and now I was just hours away from being there in person. But first, I needed to procure accommodations for the night. Pulling into the small town of Amesbury, I looked for a sign for a
B&B or hotel. Driving through town, I passed a motel. (Google shows a Travelodge motel there today. I do remember that the hotel was one I recognized and it could have been the same one.) Not wanting to stay in a motel, I headed back into town and found the George Hotel. (Again, I didn’t remember until I checked Google). I checked in; however, when I got to my room I found it to be, let’s just say, less than desirable (and I’m not really picky). So I went back to the lobby and gave them some excuse, went back to the motel and got a room.
After checking out my room and finding it acceptable, I decided to scout out Stonehenge so that I could make my way the next morning without delay. As I approached the site, I noticed a parking lot on my right and looked for the stones. I finally decided that they must be somewhere across the plains and I would have to probably take some type of shuttle from the parking lot. However, upon turning around I discovered that the stones were just off of the road on my left. There is a tunnel from the parking lot to the site. I felt rather foolish for having missed them, especially as I approached them the next morning.
Returning to the motel, I had dinner at the restaurant where I enjoyed a conversation with one of the locals. He told me that today the stones are roped off and you cannot get within about 20 feet of them. When he was young, they would go there at night and sit on them and drink beer and smoke. Seems like I was a few years late for the best experience.
During our discussion, he mentioned how American food had invaded England. (Payback for the British Invasion of the 60’s I assume.) He allowed as how Kentucky Fried Chicken was crap! I
restrained myself from telling him that I had eaten fish and chips in one of the best shops in London and, personally, I’d rather eat Long John Silvers. (I discovered some years later that Scottish fish and chips is, in fact, excellent, probably because they use haddock rather than cod. Oddly enough, Long Johns uses cod, but it is still better than the English version.)
I awoke early the next morning and decided to take walk before breakfast. I had crossed a stone bridge the evening before and spied what I thought was a mill race. Taking the short, I came to the bridge which proved to span the River Avon. As I crossed the bridge, I did in fact see a small dam up stream and two white swans swimming in the tail water. I was further impressed when I stepped off of the road to take in the bridge and saw a date that read MDCCLXV (1765). (Oddly enough, the current view on Google Maps of the river upstream from the bridge still features a swan.)
I headed back for breakfast and was soon on the short road to Stonehenge. Parking in the lot and taking the tunnel, I finally found myself face to face with one of the world’s great mysteries. Stonehenge was a favorite subject of Public TV when I was growing up and then cable and was presented with a mystery that rivaled the Loch Ness Monster. As I walked up, I noticed that there were plaques explaining the many of the details of the stones, including where they came from and how they were transported to the site. It turns out that, while still mysterious, the mystery was not as great as PBS had indicated.
Stonehenge was constructed in 2000BC to 3000BC making it similar in age to Avesbury. Originally constructed as a circular bank and ditch measuring about 360 feet in diameter, up to 80 stones were added about 400 years later. The stones measure about 6.6 feet in height and weigh up to 4 tons each. While probably the best known of Neolithic stone circles, it is neither the largest (see Avebury above), nor the most complex.
As for its origin and function, as with Avebury, the culture that constructed it left no written records. While much credence is given to it as an astronomical observatory, it is also considered to be a place of rituals and healing. I feel that it is quite possible that it could have been used for all of the above. While it is possible that it was a “beacon” for ancient astronauts as some contend, I tend to lean on the former explanations. After all, our beacons for navigation lean more toward the high tech, electronic solution than the pile of stones option.
For other sample of stone circles in the British Isles, see my later visits to the Hebrides and Orkneys (The Beatonite Venture of ‘08 and The Highlands and Islands Tour.)
The site consists of an outer ring of stones surrounded by a ditch with a diameter of about 1380 feet that is approximately 70 feet wide and 36 feet deep. When you consider that the ditch was dug with tools such as antler
shovels, it was quite an achievement. Within the outer ditch, known as a henge, is a stone circle with a diameter of 1088 feet. This circle originally consisted of a total of 98 standing stones weighing up to 40 tons each varying in size from about 12 to 14 feet in height. About half of the original stones are still standing. The Avebury Stones is one of the largest stone circles in Europe.
Within the outer ring are two inner rings consisting of 200 stones of 322 feet and 354 feet respectively. These circles do not have a common center, but stand side by side. The sight is crossed by two causeways lined by small stones.
The purpose of the circle is, as usual for Neolithic constructs, is purely theoretical. Perhaps they represented the center of the universe for ancient people. Or they were used for ritual purposes including burial of the dead. A common theory is for astronomical purposes but the stones do not seem to align with any known astronomical phenomenon. Some theories postulate a relationship to the King Arthur legends or even that they were constructed by Native Americans who crossed the Atlantic in ancient times. Or mayhap they were used for an ancient game similar to “Duck, Duck, Goose” or “Musical Chairs”. As gooda theory as the others and can’t really be disproved.
Nearby the Stones lies another Noelithic monument -
Once again, the exact purpose of the mound is not known. Some say King Sil is buried there, but most trusted sources attribute it to seasonal rituals though many leave it as unknown.
As I left Silbury Hill, I was now headed to a site that had been of extreme interest to me for some years. How many times had I seen Stonehenge on TV and now I was just hours away from being there in person. But first, I needed to procure accommodations for the night. Pulling into the small town of Amesbury, I looked for a sign for a
B&B or hotel. Driving through town, I passed a motel. (Google shows a Travelodge motel there today. I do remember that the hotel was one I recognized and it could have been the same one.) Not wanting to stay in a motel, I headed back into town and found the George Hotel. (Again, I didn’t remember until I checked Google). I checked in; however, when I got to my room I found it to be, let’s just say, less than desirable (and I’m not really picky). So I went back to the lobby and gave them some excuse, went back to the motel and got a room.
After checking out my room and finding it acceptable, I decided to scout out Stonehenge so that I could make my way the next morning without delay. As I approached the site, I noticed a parking lot on my right and looked for the stones. I finally decided that they must be somewhere across the plains and I would have to probably take some type of shuttle from the parking lot. However, upon turning around I discovered that the stones were just off of the road on my left. There is a tunnel from the parking lot to the site. I felt rather foolish for having missed them, especially as I approached them the next morning.
Returning to the motel, I had dinner at the restaurant where I enjoyed a conversation with one of the locals. He told me that today the stones are roped off and you cannot get within about 20 feet of them. When he was young, they would go there at night and sit on them and drink beer and smoke. Seems like I was a few years late for the best experience.
During our discussion, he mentioned how American food had invaded England. (Payback for the British Invasion of the 60’s I assume.) He allowed as how Kentucky Fried Chicken was crap! I
restrained myself from telling him that I had eaten fish and chips in one of the best shops in London and, personally, I’d rather eat Long John Silvers. (I discovered some years later that Scottish fish and chips is, in fact, excellent, probably because they use haddock rather than cod. Oddly enough, Long Johns uses cod, but it is still better than the English version.)
I awoke early the next morning and decided to take walk before breakfast. I had crossed a stone bridge the evening before and spied what I thought was a mill race. Taking the short, I came to the bridge which proved to span the River Avon. As I crossed the bridge, I did in fact see a small dam up stream and two white swans swimming in the tail water. I was further impressed when I stepped off of the road to take in the bridge and saw a date that read MDCCLXV (1765). (Oddly enough, the current view on Google Maps of the river upstream from the bridge still features a swan.)
I headed back for breakfast and was soon on the short road to Stonehenge. Parking in the lot and taking the tunnel, I finally found myself face to face with one of the world’s great mysteries. Stonehenge was a favorite subject of Public TV when I was growing up and then cable and was presented with a mystery that rivaled the Loch Ness Monster. As I walked up, I noticed that there were plaques explaining the many of the details of the stones, including where they came from and how they were transported to the site. It turns out that, while still mysterious, the mystery was not as great as PBS had indicated.
Stonehenge was constructed in 2000BC to 3000BC making it similar in age to Avesbury. Originally constructed as a circular bank and ditch measuring about 360 feet in diameter, up to 80 stones were added about 400 years later. The stones measure about 6.6 feet in height and weigh up to 4 tons each. While probably the best known of Neolithic stone circles, it is neither the largest (see Avebury above), nor the most complex.
As for its origin and function, as with Avebury, the culture that constructed it left no written records. While much credence is given to it as an astronomical observatory, it is also considered to be a place of rituals and healing. I feel that it is quite possible that it could have been used for all of the above. While it is possible that it was a “beacon” for ancient astronauts as some contend, I tend to lean on the former explanations. After all, our beacons for navigation lean more toward the high tech, electronic solution than the pile of stones option.
For other sample of stone circles in the British Isles, see my later visits to the Hebrides and Orkneys (The Beatonite Venture of ‘08 and The Highlands and Islands Tour.)
Chedword Roman Vila & Arundel Castle