This was my last day at my cousin's house. We decided to go and visit Avebury stone circle and henge. Just in case you don't know a henge is a roughly circular area enclosed by an earthen boundary, usually a ditch and the resulting pile of earth formed into a bank.

S looking very happy!


Avebury is larger (there is one very large stone circle enclosing two smaller stone circles) and older than Stonehenge (the megalithic stage anyway). It dates back 5000 years and today it encompasses the village of Avebury that grew in its midst. Apparently the settlement began as a defensive encampment for a Saxon army


My sis and goddaughter in front of one of the stones in the Cove which is in the northern inner circle. The two stones in the Cove represent male and female. This diamond shaped rock represents the female.


Sheep enjoy the shade of this stone which is part of the large outer circle.


After visiting Avebury we headed over to Silbury Hill, the largest man-made mound in pre-industrial Europe. It is about 4,500 years old and 130ft high. We couldn't walk up to the top as it was closed for restoration work.


Luckily West Kennet Long Barrow was not closed. This huge burial chamber was constructed around 3700BC, and is just over the horizon line to the South of Silbury Hill.


The view looking into the chambered area.


The view looking out from the final chamber.


A flint rockbalance inside the barrow!