Discovering Avebury

Stones You Can Actually Touch

Larger than Stonehenge

Prehistoric History and Living History

UNESCO World Heritage Site

A Village Built Inisde a Stone Circle

Why Visit Avebury?

There are few places on earth quite like Avebury. Sitting in the heart of the Wiltshire countryside, this vast prehistoric stone circle is one of the largest in the world — and one of the most intimate. Unlike Stonehenge, where the stones are viewed from behind a barrier, at Avebury you can walk freely among them, rest your hand against a sarsen that has stood for millennia and feel a genuine connection to the ancient past.

Whether the archaeology or the mythology draws you, the sheer scale of the monument or simply the pleasure of wandering around a village where history is quite literally built into the landscape, a visit to Avebury is an experience that stays with you long after you leave.
(Photo courtesy of Visit Wiltshire)

The Story Behind The Stones

Avebury was not built overnight. Construction began around 2850 BCE, making it contemporary with — and in some phases older than — Stonehenge. Over several centuries, Neolithic people raised an enormous circular henge: a deep ditch and bank enclosing three stone circles, the largest of which originally contained around 100 massive sarsen stones.

The stones themselves were not shaped or carved. They were selected for their natural form and hauled from the nearby Marlborough Downs, some weighing as much as 40 tonnes. The effort involved was extraordinary — a community project on a scale that is difficult to imagine even today.
(Photo courtesy of Visit Wiltshire)

Who Built Avebury

Avebury was built by the people of Neolithic Britain — farming communities who, despite having no metal tools or wheeled transport, were capable of remarkable feats of organisation and engineering. These were not primitive people. They had complex social structures, long-distance trading networks and a deep understanding of the landscape and the sky.

The monument was added to, altered and used across multiple generations, suggesting it held lasting significance for the communities that lived around it.

What Was Avebury Used For?

The honest answer is that we cannot say for certain. The scale and effort involved in building Avebury strongly suggest it was a place of great ceremonial and ritual importance — perhaps used for seasonal gatherings, ancestor worship, rites of passage or community celebrations marking the turning of the year.

Two long avenues of stones once led away from the main circle. One, the West Kennet Avenue, still survives in part and connects Avebury to a smaller stone circle known as The Sanctuary. These processional routes hint at a wider sacred landscape, carefully designed and deeply meaningful to those who used it.

Avebury & Wider Landscape

Avebury does not stand alone. It sits at the heart of a prehistoric landscape packed with extraordinary monuments. Just a short walk away is Silbury Hill — the largest man-made mound in prehistoric Europe, whose purpose remains unknown. Close by is the West Kennet Long Barrow, a Neolithic burial chamber older than Avebury itself, where you can step inside the ancient tomb and experience the darkness the builders intended.

Together, these sites form one of the most significant prehistoric concentrations anywhere in the world, and exploring them together in a single day is one of the great heritage experiences England has to offer.
(Photo courtesy of Visit Wiltshire)

What To Expect On An Avebury Tour

A private tour with us is something altogether different from a solo visit. Your dedicated local guide brings deep knowledge, genuine enthusiasm and the kind of context and storytelling that transforms a walk among old stones into something truly memorable.

There are no fixed timeslots and no crowds to navigate. You set the pace. As you move through the henge, along the avenue and out to the wider landscape, your guide will weave together archaeology, myth and local history — and you will have plenty of time to do what so few prehistoric sites allow: to stop, to look, and to place your hand on a stone that has stood since before the pyramids were built.

Meet & greet at arrivals/hotel

Travel at a relaxed, comfortable pace

Enjoy insights from a knowledgeable local guide

Stop for lunch, cream tea, antique shops & hidden gems

Perfect for couples, families and small groups