West Kennet Avenue follows a winding course of 1.5 miles, linking the Avebury Circles with the Sanctuary.
Originally consisting of about 100 pairs of stones, the Avenue followed a sinuous course. The stones were about 15 m (49 ft) apart and there was a span of about 24 m (80 ft) between the pairs. Several had been buried in medieval times, and others had been removed altogether. Of those remaining none were very large, between c1.4 m (5 ft) and 3 m (10 ft) high.*
The dating of the Avenue is probably slightly later than the main henge and circles, probably c 2300BC, although no absolute dating is yet available.*
*From ‘The Prehistoric Monuments of Avebury’ by English Heritage – 1994 edition.
Tags: Avesbury, English Heritage, National Trust, West Kennet Avenue
Woodhenge was built in about 2500 BC and revealed by aerial photographs taken in 1925 to be a leveled henge.
The bank and internal ditch enclose a circular area about 50m (160ft) in diameter with a single entrance facing north-east. Shortly after its discovery the site was excavated by Maud Cunnington Her work revealed that within the interior lay six concentric circles of pits, varying considerably in size and having originally held large upright oak timbers. Because of the similarity of this plan to that of Stonehenge, the site became known as Woodhenge. Woodhenge did gain some stones, assumed to be sarsens, late in its life, but they were subsequently removed.
From the ground plan, these timber circles (like those at Durrington Walls) are difficult to interpret. The upright timbers may have stood in the open air, either plain or highly decorated. They may have been linked together by horizontal beams to create a wooden version of Stonehenge or may even have been the framework for a huge building.*
*From English Heritage Guidebooks – Stonehenge, step into England’s story, published 2013
Tags: English Heritage, Weekend away, Wiltshire, Woodhenge
Rather than go out for a meal yesterday we took my father in law out for the day. He decided on the National Trust property Berrington Hall. We decided to surprise him with a little detour on the way and stopped of at Westonbury Mill Water Gardens. It is delightful garden with interesting follies which I knew he would love. Since the last time we visited I knew that the latest folly, a water powered cuckoo clock had been completed.
We strolled round the gardens and ended up at the cuckoo clock just before mid-day and waited to see the cuckoo emerge. There was a noise like a toilet flushing followed shortly after by birdsong although there was no sign of a cuckoo. At this point I saw the reflection of someone (who looked like the owner) behind me on the other side of the water but when I turned around there was no-one there. All of a sudden the garden owner was standing next to us saying ‘I am not sure there is time to rescue it’. He went up the stairs and did some adjustments and the Cuckoo finally decided to make an appearance. I thanked him and then he left, leaving us to enjoy his creation. We then continued on the garden tour ending up enjoying lunch sitting outside in the sun before making our way to Berrington Hall.
We were in for another treat when we got to Berrington Hall. There was a display of ‘Georgian Jousting’ taking place just outside the front of the house. After the spectacular display we visited the house before making our way back to our respective homes.
After freshening up my in-laws came round to ‘chez nous’ and we all enjoyed salmon and boulangere potatoes that had been prepared by Mr C earlier in the day. A good day was had by all 
Tags: Berrington Hall, National Trust, Westonbury Mill Water Gardens
What Is A Dad?
A dad is someone who
wants to catch you before you fall
but instead picks you up,
brushes you off,
and lets you try again.
A dad is someone who
wants to keep you from making mistakes
but instead lets you find your own way,
even though his heart breaks in silence
when you get hurt.
A dad is someone who
holds you when you cry,
scolds you when you break the rules,
shines with pride when you succeed,
and has faith in you even when you fail…
Unknown
Tags: Cherie's Place Thought, Dad, Fathers, Love, me
After breakfast we checked out and Mum got chatting to the receptionist. The topic of her broken leg cropped up and it turned out that the receptionist who was from Brisbane had been working as a physiotherapist before taking time off to go travelling. Her travelling has currently paused whilst she is working in Salisbury.
We said our goodbyes and set off on out return journey. On the way we stopped at Snowshill Manor where we had lunch. Mum was astounded by the number of pieces in Charles Paget Wades collection. She also thought the use of space was a waste of a house. I am not so sure… His love of collecting has ensured that some very interesting objects have not been lost. Everything he chose for collection had to incluce colour, design and craftsmanship.
When we had finished enjoying the house, its collections and the garden we continued on our journey back home. After unpacking and freshening up after the journey, the three of us went to a local pub for an evening meal. We chose with care, it is one of the places that serves a Sunday roast in the evening as well as at lunch time. The place was buzzing and it turned out the reason for this was that the landlord was throwing a party for his daughter’s 16th birthday.
The landlord was worried that they were being too noisy (they weren’t) and offered us a glass of champagne after our meal. A perfect end to a perfect weekend away 
Tags: National Trust, Salisbury, Snowshill Manor, The White Hart, Weekend away
