Avebury

Avebury henge and stone circles are one of the most magical sites from prehistoric Britain

Avebury is one of Britain’s most awe-inspiring sacred landscapes—a vast Neolithic stone circle in Wiltshire, older and more expansive than Stonehenge. Built around 2600 BCE, it consists of a massive outer henge enclosing the village of Avebury and two inner stone circles. Unlike many ancient sites, visitors can walk freely among the stones, touch them, and experience their presence up close.

Long revered as a place of spiritual power, Avebury forms part of a wider sacred complex that includes Silbury Hill, West Kennet Long Barrow, and the mysterious avenues of standing stones leading away from the circle. The entire area invites contemplation of life, death, and the natural rhythms of earth and sky.

Avebury’s spiritual resonance has drawn pilgrims for millennia—prehistoric, Christian, and contemporary. The medieval church of St. James stands within the henge itself, echoing the layering of sacred meaning over time. This rare coexistence of ancient monument and living village makes Avebury a powerful place to explore the overlapping paths of history, spirituality, and community.

Today, the British Pilgrimage Trust regularly guides pilgrimages to Avebury, inviting walkers to engage with the land’s deep past and present spirit. Whether tracing old processional routes or pausing in silence at the long barrow, pilgrims encounter a profound sense of connection—to ancestors, the cosmos, and the sacred Earth.

Avebury is not just a site to visit, but a mystery to walk—an invitation to journey inward as much as across the Wiltshire landscape.

For more details on Avebury, visit the National Trust and English Heritage.