Silbury Hill & Avebury Stone Circle

Early morning and sunbeams brighten up a corner of the garden with promises of a glorious mid-September day to come

A lady spider has been up even longer than us busily spinning her web

Shrouded in mist Silbury Hill is Europe's largest man-made prehistoric mound constructed between 2400 and 2300 BC. The purpose of the mound or the meaning it held for the late Neolithic people who built it is not known. The monument seen today was not conceived and built in a single campaign, but grew larger over several generations. Composed mainly of chalk and clay excavated from the surrounding area, the mound stands 40 metres (131ft) high and covers 5 acres (2ha) - a similar size to the smaller Egyptian pyramids. Over time, the project became more ambitious, with huge quantities of chalk dug from the surrounding ditches to build the mound. The years between 2600 and 2000BC was a period of great change, when new forms of pottery, new burial rites and the first metalworking arrived in Britain. This period saw intense building activity in the Avebury area, when hundreds of people came together to construct a variety of monuments including a henge, stone circles and avenues at Avebury. The story of Silbury Hill does not end in prehistory as the Romans chose to build a road and a small town around the foot of the mound.

As the crow flies, Avebury is less than a mile from Silbury Hill - the whole area being a World Heritage Site. Avebury stone circle is the largest in the world, around its perimeter runs a deep ditch which is then surrounded by a high bank. It is possible to walk a complete circuit around the stones by following the pathway running along the top of the bank.

The surrounding bank was formed when Neothilic man removed chalk from the ditches.  Ditch excavations carried out in the early c20th discovered that they had used deer antlers as rakes and picks

The first farmers made their mark on the Avebury landscape almost 6000 years ago. Since then, a pretty village has grown up at the heart of the monument. This is the only place in the world where you'll find a pub and a chapel inside a stone circle. Sadly many of the stones were despoiled and used for building houses by the locals across the centuries - they did not have the knowledge or understanding of the historical heritage that was sitting on their doorsteps

A large piece of stone has been hacked away here  

The stones were not shaped by their Neolithic builders but were chosen for their natural form. The shapes fell into two categories: male and female. The tall rectangular shaped stones are thought to represent the male while the diamond shaped stones represent the female presence. Fertility was a property widely considered to be connected with these rings of stone

Halfway around the walk on top of part of the high bank grows a group of majestic ancient trees

These wonderful trees have their branches strewn with all kinds of paraphernalia, the roots are tied with ribbons and messages left by visitors, Pagans, Wiccans, and those declaring their undying love for one another. From time to time it is necessary to purged the trees of all these tokens which takes up valuable resources and time, but is important for the trees continued survival so that future generations may also see and admire them.

Personally I don't understand this compulsion that some have to leave their footprint behind - I am reminded too of the 'love locks' that decorate some of the historic bridges over the Seine in Paris which are causing structural damage and problems for the Parisian authorities. 

Next time Avebury Manor Garden