A circular route taking in the neolithic Windmill Hill, taking in stunningly expansive views before dropping back down into Avebury Trusloe via 'Adam' and 'Eve' the only surviving long stones of a suspected prehistoric stone avenue.
Important information:
Parking is located to the south-west of the village on the A4361. Sat Nav postcode: SN8 1RD. This parking is free for National Trust and English Heritage members. There is a cost for those that are not members of these organisations. Please check the National Trust website for updated information.
Due to uneven ground, stiles (including a bridge with multiple stiles), and difficult terrain, this trail is not considered accessible, particularly for those that use wheelchairs, pushchairs, etc.
There are two shortcuts available that will shorten the trail down to around 7km, with the full trail being closer to 8km.
This is a walk that could be a book itself. Therefore, I have restricted the amount of text on the history to ensure that the walk flows. I would recommend the book Exploring Avebury by Steve Marshall, available at the Henge Shop and online, for anyone that would like to know more.
1) This walk starts at the wonderfully eclectic Henge Shop on High Street, which can be reach via a short walk from the National Trust car park.
From here walk westerly along High Street to the early 18th Century whitewashed sarsen thatched cottages to the right of way path (AVEB32) to the right. This will lead you into the churchyard of Grade I listed, St. James.
St. James dates back to as early as the 10th Century, including a late Anglos-Saxon nave, with restorations and improvements in almost every century since. The tower includes eight bells, known as a full circle ring, and a clock bell, which happens to be the oldest of the bells, dated to 1710 and the foundary of Richard Phelps who is thought to have cast 204 bells in his career spanning from 1700-1738.
2) Take a left through the gateway after the cottages on your left to the path (AVEB31). This will turn into a wide bridleway, known as Church Walk, leading you over two small bridges, the second spans the River Kennet. This will give you the first views of the countryside, which include the first view of Silbury Hill.
3) After the River Kennet crossing, follow the path to the right. Then take the stile to your right, signed Windmill Hill.
Crossing this field will bring you to a wooden bridge with stiles at each end. You are effectively crossing back over the River Kennet.
After the bridge, head north keeping the Kennet to your right, towards the gap in the hedging.
4) The next field is more expansive, follow the well-trodden path, which will lead you to the northern end of the field.
Cross over the stile into Sloe copse and heading out through the metal kissing gate.
Follow the desire line path and as you progress, keep the hedge to your left. In the spring, this is a beautiful field, filled with buttercups.
Taking the kissing gate and heading left will begin the advance to Windmill Hill along the White Horse Trail and the dividing line between the parishes of Avebury and Winterbourne Monkton.
5) The final field leading up to the hill is a joy to walk during the spring and summer. Filled with wildflowers and pollinators galore, with views to die for, including another glimpse of the ever-mysterious Silbury Hill.
6) Take a moment as you pass through the gate into Windmill Hill, a place that was active over 5000 years ago.
This is a landscape of superlatives: Windmill Hill is the largest causewayed enclosure in Britain. Silbury Hill is largest artificial mound in Europe as the Avebury stone circle is the largest prehistoric stone circle in the world.
Assumed to be an expansive sacred and ceremonial landscape, this is half of the Stonehedge and Avebury World Heritage Site. The 25 square kilometres of the Avebury portion of this listing include many complex ancient monuments.
Windmill Hill is thought to be the earliest site of the complex and held ritual activity around 3700BCE. Not long afterwards, perhaps as little as 50 years, West Kennet Long Barrow was built and would become one of the largest chambered tombs in Britain, and the resting place of nearly 50 people. It would be hundreds of years before the construction of the Avebury henge and stone circles began, between 2850BCE - 2200BCE. It was during this time period, around 2400BCE that Silbury Hill was completed.
Windmill Hill is at its most spectacular from the sky, where the earthworks can be viewed in all of their splendor. However, this is not how the people who created this causewayed enclosure would have viewed constructions.
Archaeological evidence points to this enclosure being used occasionally for around 300 years, perhaps for trade and feasting, with evidence of animals consumed at the site.
Alexander Kieller, who we will discover more about later, discovered three concentric rings in the 1920s, which were refilled in the 1950s, making them difficult to see today. In addition, Kieller, who first assessed the hill by making aerial observations, went on to excavate the site with impressive finds, such as flint tools, human and animal bones, and pottery, which became known as Windmill Hill ware, which was subsequently also found at Silbury Hill, making it reasonably likely that it was the same community that created both monuments.
From the gate you are presented with a bronze age bowl barrow and two options.
Heading south-westerly, with the fences to your left, will lead you to the exit of Windmill Hill. This is represented by the blue-dash line on the map.
Alternatively, pass over or around the barrow experience more of the site and the impressive views. All of the barrows you see are later additions to the site, with the inner ditch with a raised feature is the 'centre' of the enclosure.
7) When you are finished exploring the site, follow the trail southwesterly down the decline to the gate. Turn left onto the byway (CHER18), with the Windmill Hill plantation to your left - taking care with the ruts left by vehicles.
At the junction take the byway to the left (AVEB19) which will take you up to yet more impressive views, including the Lansdowne Monument.
Shortly, you will pass the exit from Windmill Hill mentioned in the shortcut of Instruction 6.
Follow the curves of this byway for around 1.5km crossing over Horslip Bridge and towards Manor Farm.
8a) At Manor Farm, you can take a shortcut to the left along Bray Street back to the bridges near the beginning of the walk. Join us at instruction 14.
8b) The longer route takes in the Long Stones, and can be reached by going straight across and past the farm buildings on to byway AVEB14, which is voluntarily closed to vehicles between 1 October and 30 April each year to protect the route.
9) Following the byway provides stunning and ever-changing views of the Long Stones, known as 'Adam' and 'Eve', with Adam being the larger of the two stones. It was Adam that fell over in 1911 and was re-erected in 1912 by Maud Cunnington, a Welsh archaeologist best known for her work on Salisbury Plain. During this time, Cunnington discovered a Beaker inhumation of a man, close to the stone and presumed to postdate this impressive megalith.
Both stones have been scheduled monuments since 1930, with Eve being considered to have been part of a 1300m long double stone row, called Beckhampton Avenue, with stones placed at 15m intervals leading to Avebury Henge from The Cove, of which only Adam remains. Stones have been found by excavation that have led to our current understanding, however, it remains out of reach as to why this route may have been a special route to and from the henge.
10) As you round the bend of the track, look to your right towards Longstones Barrow. Worth a few steps to see the massive bulk of this barrow, even though precious little evidence of use exists. An excavation occurred in 1850, but was poorly recorded, with perhaps a secondary cremation in a Biconical urn and possibly and associated dagger.
Return to the byway and continue onwards, passing Beckhampton Stables on your right.
This will lead you to Nash Road with views of Avebury Trusloe.
11) Avebury Trusloe is a modern settlement that sits some distance from the manor that it takes its name from. The housing is said to have been built to re-house those displaced from the demolitions within Avebury during Alexander Keiller's mission to restore the henge to its former neolithic glory.
Alexander Keiller (1889 - 1955) was a man of many talents and a varied career. From pioneering aerial photography, to becoming an expert in the field of fingerprint technology during his time as a Wiltshire Police Inspector. Keiller was heir to the family business, James Keiller & Son, established in 1797. In 1910, Keiller inherited the business and became a 'Marmalade Millionaire', leaving his uncle to the actual job of running the business, Keiller got back to his playboy activities, which included being married four times!
In 1915, Keiller was invalided out of WWI, leading him to join air intelligence and learn to fly and discover the landscape of the West Country before casting his eyes on Avebury.
In 1934, Keiller acquired 950 acres of Avebury and employed local workmen as part of his project. This restoration meant the removal of many cottages, farm buildings, fences, trees, and undergrowth - sometimes with the use of dynamite.
During the restoration project, 60 tons of grey sarcens were unearth and positioned in their original holes, before being set in cement.
WWII halted the re-building of the stone circle, after which ill-health prevented any additional works. Eventually, Keiller sold the land to the National Trust at agricultural rates before dying of cancer in October 1955.
In 1966, Keiller's fourth wife, Gabrielle Keiller gifted the museum and its contents to the nation.
12) At South Street, you will reach the houses, take a left after Stratton House. This footpath (AVEB27) will lead you diagonally to Bray Street South East. Cross the road heading towards the Right of Way markers. Take a right after the brick wall and follow the footpath (AVEB23) past Chapel Corner Barn and Chapel Cottages.
13) At the end of this section, go through the gate and follow the track, keeping the wire fence to your right and pass through the next gate.
Following the path will lead back to the bridges we crossed and the River Kennet.
14) After the bridges, you'll be back on Church Walk, following the bends in the road past the thatched cottages and the lych gate to St. James's church.
Upon returning to High Street and approaching the Henge Shop, look right to the henge itself.
You'll be able to view Stone 24 of the south-west quadrant. It's easy to see that this stone has been partially re-assembled from broken fragments that were used in a building. The resulting appearance is very artificial. Perhaps damaged stones are best left alone.
Thank you for using this route!
Words and Photographs: Tim Havenith
Map from the lovely folks at OpenStreetMap. © OpenStreetMap contributors
