Exploring Avebury Stone Circles & Henge

You’ve most probably heard of Stonehenge, but have you heard about Avebury Henge, another prehistoric site that is even bigger, even older, and completely free to visit?

Built between 2850 BC and 2200 BC, Avebury Henge forms the largest prehistoric stone circle in the world, and uniquely, it wraps right around the modern-day Avebury village.  Yes, that’s right – the Avebury stones actually older than Stonehenge!

Together with Stonehenge, Avebury is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, and we headed there on a day trip to see if it really is the perfect alternative.

This guide shares everything you need to plan your own visit to the Avebury Stone Circle in Wiltshire, including how to get there, what to see, and the best things to do whilst you’re there.

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Avebury is in Wiltshire, close to the market town of Marlborough in South-West England.  It’s easy to get to by car, public transport or as part of an organised tour.

We drove from Surrey via the M4, which took about 1 hr 15 minutes.  From London, it’s roughly 2 hours depending on the traffic.

Take a train to Swindon, then catch the 49 Bus from Swindon Bus Station directly to Avebury.  There is not a train station in Avebury.

Alternatively, you could book a guided tour by coach, which includes a visit to both the Stone Circles of Avebury and Stonehenge.

The National Trust manages the Avebury Stone Circles and Henge.  There is a large main car park plus an overflow field in busy months.  Parking costs £4, payable at the National Trust Visitor Reception in the Great Barn (free for NT members).

You’ll also find toilets, a NT shop, and a café at the Visitor Centre.

From the Visitor Centre, it’s just a short stroll to the Avebury Stone Circle, which is surrounded by a huge henge bank and ditch. The outer ring is almost one mile in circumference, making it the largest stone circle in the world.

The stones themselves are enormous, some weighing up to 100 tonnes.  Originally, around 98 stones formed the outer circle, but some missing stones have been replaced by stone markers.  Like Stonehenge, the stones are made from local sarsen sandstone.

One of the best things about visiting Avebury Stone Circle is the freedom. You can you can walk right up to the stones, touch them, sit by them and take a selfie next to them.

We arrived early and almost had the site to ourselves.  There’s no set route around the stone circles, but we began by walking along the top of the henge bank before dropping down to explore the stones.

With red kites circling overhead and jackdaws calling from the stones, it felt wonderfully atmospheric.  Many visitors describe Avebury as a deeply spiritual place, much like Stonehenge, and it’s easy to see why when you’re standing among stones that have been here for over 4,500 years.  Just like Stonehenge, it attracts a crowd of Pagans around the time of the Summer Solstice (though not in the same numbers).  There’s also a local rumour that the four huge beech trees around the site inspired the JRR Tolkien’s Treebeard in The Lord of the Rings.

If you want deeper insight into the site’s archaeology, you can book a guided tour at the Visitor Centre.

Avebury isn’t just about the one stone circle.  It’s part of a vast prehistoric landscape, with more stones, burial mounds, and ceremonial sites, which all make up the World Heritage Site.  You could easily make a day of it visiting the different monuments.  Here are some of the most significant monuments and burial mounds:

From the southern entrance of the circle, you can follow Stone Avenue, a long route running parallel to the road, originally lined with around 100 standing stones.  This leads out of the village and goes towards West Kennet Long Barrow and The Sanctuary.

A word of warning – you might find cows grazing along this part.  We nearly jumped out of our skin when a herd of cows unexpectedly broke into a run behind us.  Luckily, they weren’t after us – just looking for shade!

One of Britain’s oldest and best-preserved Neolithic burial mounds, West Kennet Long Barrow dates to around 3650 BC, making it older than both Avebury and Stonehenge.

It’s about a 30-minute walk from Avebury or a short drive.

Located at the end of West Kennet Avenue, The Sanctuary was once a complex wooden and stone structure used for ritual gatherings.

Although the original posts are long gone, concrete markers show the layout. It’s easy to reach by crossing the road from the end of the Avenue.

The village of Avebury sits right inside the stone circle, something you won’t find anywhere else in the world.   It’s tiny, charming, and full of character with thatched cottages, climbing roses, and a pretty church.

There is a small shop called Elements, selling local artwork, crystals, and jewellery and a pub.

After exploring the village, we stopped at the Red Lion, a 400-year-old thatched pub, said to to be one of Britain’s most haunted.  We didn’t spot any ghosts, but we did overhear someone mentioning she is a witch!

It’s a great spot for a drink or lunch, especially if you’re visiting on a sunny day.

Standing at over 30 metres high, Silbury Hill is the largest prehistoric mound in Europe.  Built around 2400 BC, it was constructed entirely by hand in stages over more than 50 to 150 years.   Archaeologists believe it was built using chalk, stones, and soil carried by hand over an extended period.

Although you can’t climb the hill, due to damage caused by excavations, there’s a viewing area, where you can get a good look at it and appreciated the scale.

You can walk to Silbury Hill from Avebury, but we stopped off on the drive home.  There’s a small car park which is only a few minutes’ walk away.  It’s only a quick stop, but worth seeing whilst you’re in the area.

Just a short walk from the stones is Avebury Manor & Garden, a National Trust property.  If you’re a member, entry is free.  You get your tickets in the Visitor Centre and can choose to go in the manor house, gardens, or both.  There is also a museum.

Located in the stables at the Visitor Centre, the museum was named after the archaeologist who once owned Avebury Manor and estate and excavated much of Avebury in the 1930s.  It includes many artefacts from the World Heritage Site and is the best place to learn about the site’s history.

You can explore inside to learn about the past residents of the 16^th century Grade-1 listed manor.

We aren’t members, so just paid to go in the formal gardens, which are divided into distinct zones.  You’ll see pretty, herbaceous borders, a vegetable garden, an orchard, and a walled garden.

The two sites are both incredible, especially if you’re interested in prehistoric history, but they offer very different experiences.

At Avebury, the stones are spread across a far larger landscape, and there are simply more of them.  One of the biggest differences is the freedom.  You can wander wherever you like, explore at your own pace,  and admission is completely free.

Avebury also attracts fewer visitors, which gives it a much more relaxed feel.  Because the stones are fully integrated into the village, complete with roads, houses, and grazing sheep, it’s easier to spend a full day exploring the area.

Stonehenge, on the other hand,  is one of the most famous tourist attractions in the UK and naturally draws far more visitors.    The experience is more structured and commercialised, but the stones themselves are taller, more iconic, and awe-inspiring.  Even with the crowds, seeing them up close is something special.

My recommendation is to visit both!  Book your guided tour to Avebury and Stonehenge here.

The full loop is only around 2.3 km, taking 30-60 minutes.  If you include West Kennet Long Barrow, The Sanctuary, and the wider World Heritage site, allow 2-3 hours.

Absolutely.  It’s free, far less crowded than Stonehenge, and you can walk right amongst the stones.  The village and surrounding countryside are extremely picturesque and there is plenty to do to make a full day out.

Yes, the stone circle is open year-round and free to visit.

Yes, you can walk the entire circle, climb the henge banks, and wander freely among the stones.

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