Avebury, Wiltshire

Avebury (the traditional local pronunciation is "A'bury") is a village and civil parish in Wiltshire. The village lies within the Avebury Stone Circle, a neolithic circle of upright stones that is larger and older than nearby Stonehenge. The parish also includes the nearby settlements of Beckhampton and West Kennett.

History

For the main article on the prehistoric site, see Avebury.

The Avebury neolithic circle was first described by John Aubrey in 1648:

These Downes looke as if they were Sown with great Stones, very thicke; and in a dusky evening they looke like a flock of Sheep: from whence it takes its name. One might fancy it to have been the Scene where the Giants fought with stones against the Gods. ... I was wonderfully surprised at the sight of theose vast stones, of which I had never heard before; as also at the mighty Banke and Graffe [ditch] about it. I observed in the Inclosures some segments of rude circles, made with these stones, whence I concluded, they had been in old time complete.

The archeologist Alexander Keiller re-erected many of the fallen stones in the 1930s, partially restoring the circle to its original condition. Since 1943 the village and the circle are the property of the nation, and are currently administered by the National Trust. In 1986, UNESCO added Avebury, along with Stonehenge, Silbury Hill, and associated local sites, to its World Heritage List.

Besides the Avebury Stone Circle itself, there are numerous other prehistoric sites nearby, including West Kennet Long Barrow and the West Kennet Avenue, both of which are near to the included settlement of West Kennett. Note that the name of the settlement is always spelt with two 't's whilst the archaeological sites are generally spelt with one.

Local Government

Avebury is a civil parish with an elected parish council. It falls within the areas of Kennet District Council and Wiltshire County Council. All three councils are responsible for different aspects of local government.

In the 2002 census, the parish had a population of 486.

Location

Nearby towns and cities: Calne, Marlborough, Devizes, Swindon, Salisbury

Nearby villages: Winterbourne Monkton, East Kennett, West Overton, Bishops Cannings