Name: The Sanctuary, Avebury
Rating: 5.0

The Sanctuary, Avebury

Marlborough, Wiltshire SN8 1EY, UK

1-99 Years

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Description

The Sanctuary, Avebury Begun in about 2500 BC, the Sanctuary was originally a complex circular arrangement of timber posts and standing stones. These components are now indicated by concrete blocks and posts. When archaeologists excavated the site in 1930 they found many objects such as flint tools, animal bones and pottery fragments, suggesting that Neolithic people were placing offerings in and around the standing posts.

Later, in the early Bronze Age, the site was chosen for the burial of a teenage boy with a small Beaker pot. The Sanctuary is in DCMS ownership and English Heritage guardianship. It is managed by the National Trust on behalf of English Heritage, and the two organisations share the cost of managing and maintaining the site.

Free Entry. If you are looking for Best place for day out with kids and families then this is the perfect destination offering fun, adventure, and unforgettable memories for everyone.

Features

Free
Host birthday parties: No

Features

History of the Sanctuary, Avebury: The Sanctuary was a remarkable ceremonial temple, built of concentric rings of standing stones and wooden posts. We do not know if the stones and posts all stood at the same time, but archaeological finds from the site suggest that this unique monument was used in the late Neolithic period, and probably built about 2500 BC.
Discovery and exploration: The stone circles were first recorded by the antiquary John Aubrey, who first visited in 1649 and noted that local people called it ‘The Sanctuary’. His plan of the monument and its associated avenue shows that many of the stones were still standing.
A concentric monument: The standing posts and stones of the Sanctuary seem to have been carefully positioned to control the space and the movement of people, restricting visual and physical access to the ceremonies that took place inside.[4] We don’t know if all the elements stood at the same time, or whether the monument was built in several stages.
Part of a complex: Located on Overton Hill, the Sanctuary lies at one end of the West Kennet Avenue, two parallel rows of standing stones that stretch over 1½ miles (2.3km), linking the site to the henge and stone circles at Avebury. This avenue may not have been continuous – there seems to be a gap about halfway along, where a spring was located.
A Bronze Age burial: In the early Bronze Age, about 200 years after the Sanctuary was constructed, a teenage boy was buried against the base of one of the stones. His body was accompanied by a small Beaker pot – a distinctive style of decorated pot that spread to Britain from the continent from about 2300 BC. There are several examples from the Avebury area of burials placed at the base of older standing stones in this period.

Facilities

Parking: We recommend parking in the layby next to the site, to avoid crossing the busy road. There is also parking on the opposite side of the road.
Dogs: Dogs on leads are welcome.

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Price

Price: Free

Birthday Parties

Offer Birthday Parties: No

Open any reasonable time during daylight hours.

Address: Marlborough, Wiltshire SN8 1EY, UK

Post Code: SN8 1EY

Council: Wiltshire

County: Wiltshire

Road Access: 1⁄2 mile South of West Kennett, beside South side of A4.
Bus Access: Connect2 Wiltshire service 4 & 5 and Taxibus TL3. Tel 0845 652 5255; also limited service by Wiltshire Buses X76; also one journey on Tourist Coaches service 244 serves West Kennett village.
Train Access: Pewsey 9 miles, Bedwyn 12 miles.
Bicycle Access: Find this site on The National Cycle Network
Parking: We recommend parking in the layby next to the site, to avoid crossing the busy road. There is also parking on the opposite side of the road.