Avebury

Europe's largest stone circle (diameter 412 m/1,350 ft), in Wiltshire, England. This megalithic henge monument is thought to be part of a ritual complex, and contains 650 massive blocks of stone arranged in circles and avenues. It was probably constructed around 3,500 years ago, and is linked with nearby Silbury Hill.

The henge, an earthen bank and interior ditch with entrances on opposite sides, originally rose 15 m/49 ft above the bottom of the ditch. This earthwork and an outer ring of stones surround the inner circles. The stones vary in size from 1.5 m/5 ft to 5.5 m/18 ft high and 1 m/3 ft to 3.65 m/12 ft broad. They were erected by a late Neolithic or early Bronze Age culture. The remains that can be seen today may cover an earlier site – as may be the case at a number of prehistoric sites.

When the village of Avebury developed within the circle, many of the blocks were used for building material. In the Middle Ages many of the stones were buried.

Alexander Keiller, former owner of the site, did much to restore and preserve the monument. He founded the Avebury Museum, where finds from this site and the nearby Neolithic defensive earthwork of Windmill Hill are preserved. The site was acquired by the National Trust in 1943, and the area now protected includes the majority of the stone circles, Windmill Hill, and the manor farm.