The West Kennet Avenue leading to the Avebury circle can easily be seen whilst driving to and from Avebury on the whilst travelling along the B4003. Originally there would probably have been around 100 pairs of standing stones.
Each pair arranged roughly 20-30cm from the next pair with the stones of each pair standing around 15m apart. The Avenue ran for about 1.6 miles from the southern entrance of Avebury henge to a double stone circle on Overton Hill, now known as the Sanctuary.*
There is a second avenue, The Beckhampton Avenue, leaving Avebury by what it now the high street. This was a similar pairing of stones leading from what is now the hamlet of Beckhampton. In 1999 stones from this avenue were rediscovered as part of a project by three universities to test for its existence. There is also speculation that there might once have four avenues but so far there is no evidence to confirm this.
Seeing the car in the first photo is a little poignant because that car was on its final holiday adventure.
*From National Trust 2008 guide book to Avebury revised 2011.
Why would they have thought there were four?
Interpretation of the site leads to this conclusion. But as I mentioned no evidence has (so far) been found to support this.
The car had given good service?
The car met an untimely end
You’re helping me realize there’s much more to this place than what I saw when I was there a few years ago, Cherry. It wouldn’t hurt for me to go back!
You will love it
Be sure to read up on it before you visit, so that you don’t miss out on the best features.
This is such an interesting presentation Cherie… you have great photojournalism skills… thanks….peter:)
Thanks Peter, that is a great compliment
That last one looks like a head to me!
It looks like a horses head to me.
This is so fascinating Cherie. When you speak of four possible avenues, I imagine lanes of stones emanating out from a central point. It makes me think of crop circles and alien landing strips!
It is certainly the region for crop circles. Some but probably not all are due to the hands of man!
I thought that the last one looked like a horses head too before I read the comments.
It is a rather distinctive stone