United Kingdom holiday : Ancient Monuments

Before breakfast today we had a look around the very old church and graveyard right next to where we are staying. It is called the Old St Peters Church and it was built in the 12th century! The inn where we are staying is widely assumed to have been built at the same time as a small few house.

Geoff then went to the water meadows nearby while I went to FaceTime Dad.

The inn is very well restored. It has very low doorways and everything is at crazy angles

After breakfast we took off for Castle Combe. On the way we stopped and walked up to see Danebury Rings, another Iron Age fort. The area is also used as a dog area and there were lots of dogs off the leash having a ball. We really miss Rocky. He would love it here.

These Exteter ponies are the oldest breed in Britain and they use these and the sheep to keep the grass down on Danebury.

Next we were off to Castle Combe which I had heard was the prettiest village in the Cotswolds. We thought it not too far away but it took one and a half hours and when we got there it was down a very steep hill and consisted of one street of houses, albeit beautiful old stones ones on a river. Very scenic but absolutely no where to park. Oh well you can't win them all! So it was off to Avebury then to explore more prehistoric landscapes. We went on a tour of the site.

Avebury circle is thought to have been constructed in Neolithic times around 2500 BC. There is a rampart, ditch and 2 huge avenues with 4 entrances. It is not thought to have been defensive as the bank is on the outside but it is not conclusive what its purpose is although most agree it was ceremonial, either fertility rites or ancestor workshop. Many of the stones were buried in medieval times and only some of them have been re-erected but it is still very impressive and huge in size. There are very, very big stones, some of them still standing after 4 000 years, with no concrete to keep them upright, just Neolithic engineering. The town of Avebury has been partially built within the circle.

After the tour we explored around the village and enjoyed a cuppa and homemade cake the ladies of the local church were providing as a fund raiser. Geoff went back for a second piece of cake!!

Lovely old church

Some of the early history of St James church

Then we went through the restored manor house featured on the program To the Manor Reborn. The house was built in 1551 but has been occupied in most succeeding periods. The house was restored by a collaboration of the National Trust and the BBC as part of the program and each room has been renovated as a different period. You can touch and play with things.

Geoff using the exercise machine

The current lord and lady of the manor

Coming away from Avebury we saw Silbury Hill, a prehistoric artificial chalk mound.At 40 metres high, Silbury Hill – which is part of the complex of Neolithic monuments around Avebury, which includes the Avebury Ring and West Kennet Long Barrow – is the tallest prehistoric human-made mound in Europe and one of the largest in the world; it is similar in size to some of the smaller Egyptian pyramids of the Giza Necropolis.[3] Its original purpose however, is still highly debated. Several other important Neolithic monuments in Wiltshire in the care of English Heritage, including the large henges at Marden and Stonehenge, may be culturally or functionally related to Avebury and Silbury. (Wikipedia)

West Kennet barrow was just across the road so we climbed up to see that

One of the largest, most impressive and most accessible Neolithic chambered tombs in Britain. Built in around 3650 BC, it was used for a short time as a burial chamber, nearly 50 people being buried here before the chambers were blocked.

You could go right into it. It was obviously used by modern Pagans as it had lots of food and bird offerings.

Now it was time for a dash to Stonehenge before it closed. But alas....