With tube strike chaos testing my patience to the limits, I probably wasn’t the only one longing to be far from the madding crowds last week. Having had more than my fill of city living, I decided to return to the land on a day trip to Avebury in search of the mysterious stones circles. Would their positive vibrations be enough to restore my flagging spirits?
Following in the footsteps of the ice-age nomads, we set off along the Ridgeway National Trail – one of Britain’s ancient routes spanning eighty-seven miles of spectacular countryside. A patchwork of vibrant yellow and green soothes my soul as sweeping views stretch as far as the Salisbury Plains. Encased in concrete for the last week, it’s exhilarating to suddenly see a horizon and experience the wonder of the natural world.
Descending into Avebury, the Gods suddenly turn against us as a biblical deluge of great balls of ice hurl forth from the heavens. Caught out mid-field with nowhere to flee, our wonder soon turns to horror as we realise we’ve no choice but to submit to the elements. Hands red-raw, trousers sopping and feet squelching, we scurry past Avebury’s World Heritage Site wonders with only one destination in mind. Sitting down with a relieved sigh, the Red Lion pub provides a welcome sanctuary. Ditching my carefully-prepared home-made salad, I opt instead for pie and chips – the only sensible option in the circumstances.
Revived and feeling slightly drier, we head out to discover the towering stones superimposed on the fields surrounding the village. Dating from around 2600 BC, the original site dwarfed Stonehenge with over 600 large monoliths, most of which have now disappeared.
The sheer size of the remaining stones is jaw-dropping and we can only wonder at how they were transported to their current position. The surrounding ditch alone would have taken two hundred and fifty people over twenty years to construct. While the purpose of the stones remains a mystery, they are still revered today by the Druids. Some claim that an increase in body temperature can be felt when standing at certain points within the circle. Allowed to get up close and personal, (unlike Stonehenge), I took the opportunity to embrace five thousand year’s of the earth’s energy.
Also part of the same sacred complex is Silbury Hill. Rising up like a giant Christmas pudding, the hill is Britain’s largest man-made mound. Comparable in height and volume to the Egyptian pyramids and dating back to the same period, the site is an amazing feat when considering the meagre tools that Neolithic man had to construct it with. Shrouded in mystery, its purpose and significance also remain unknown.
The highlight of our day trip to Avebury is our final stop to the burial chamber at West Kennet Long Barrow. Nestled on the crest of a hill deep in the heart of crop circle land, strategically-placed stones guard the entrance to Britain’s most accessible Neolithic tomb. Creeping inside, a snug and surprisingly peaceful chamber is
revealed. Spanning one hundred metres in length, the cavern was used as a burial chamber for less than fifty people for a short period before being blocked. Today, withered flowers hint at the continued attention the tomb receives from pagan worshippers.
Zooming back along the country roads to the great metropolis, we leave Avebury in jubilant spirits. Fortified by the power of the stones, I feel ready to take on whatever RMT has to throw at me if this week’s tube strike goes ahead. Compared to the hardships of heaving monoliths around, the daily commute seems a bit more manageable after all.
This day trip was organised by the Outdoor Adventure Club. (Please note Avebury is difficult to get to using public transport, we travelled from London by minibus which takes approximately two hours.)
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Nice report. We visited all these sites, including the Red Lion, around 6 weeks ago. I am now walking the Ridgeway in a series of circular walks. A special part of the world.
Thank you so much for making contact. You are so right when you say it is a special part of the world, it really feels like the spiritual heart of England. Like you, I’m planning to see more of it in the future.