STONE CIRCLES, TIMBER CIRCLES,

AND CROP CIRCLES

In the area of Salisbury Plain are to be found the most famous and second most famous of the worlds stone circles. If you are reading this it is probably because you are planning on visiting Stonehenge; so you should, because it is a World Heritage site up there with anything you will ever see in any other part of the World. One of those things you must do before you die. The fascination with this site is not so much the sheer spectacle of the construction but the mystery surrounding it; why was it built, why was it built where it is, who built it, when was it built? I shall not delve it to the known history as that can be easily found on the many excellent websites and text books on the subject, but just say something about the other interesting aspects of the Stonehenge area. The site is thought to have been a very important ceremonial gathering place long before the stones were erected. (Incidentally, the word henge is used to denote the earthworks surrounding the stones). a long ceremonial embanked way known as the Cursus is still vaguely visible to the north of the monument, and to the south east is the Avenue which is thought to be the original approach to the monument from the river avon, and up which the stone are thought to have been transported. All around the site are dotted many burial chambers known as barrows, the largest of which are the King Barrows. These features are missed by nearly all visitors, but if you take the Catkin Lodge self guided walk to Stonehenge, you will discover all these features and get one the best possible angles for photography.

In the village of Avebury (approximately 45 minutes drive from Catkin Lodge and also easily accessed using the local bus service) is the second most important stone circle in the UK. Dating from about 2.500 BC, this 30 acre site consists of a huge circular earthworks (henge) with a ditch approximately 30 feet deep when constructed and about 1/4 of a mile in diameter. The Stones within the henge are in three concentric circles. Within the stone circle lies part of the village of Avebury, and some of thecottages are partly constructed from some of the original megaliths. Radiating from the stone circles were originally two great avenues; only one of which survives and it is well worth walking the length of this, something many tourists fail to discover. The walk around Avebury will take about 45 minutes with a further 30 minutes for the Avenue and best of all, there is no entrance fee. Although Stonehenge is the most famous of the two circles, many (including myself) prefer the atmosphere and experience of Avebury and there is much to do here. Within the site there is a museum, a pub, interesting antique and local shops, a cafe and Manor House. Within a few miles are Silbury Hill which is the largest man made hill in the country and also West Kennet Long Barrow, which is one of the best preserved burial chambers in England.

On the way to Avebury, why not visitthe Barge Inn at Honey Street; as well as being a very pleasant place to stop for good real ale and food, it is right on the Kennet and Avon canal and throughout the summer narrow boats are traveling past or mooring there. There is an excellent view of the Alton Barnes White Horse carved out of the nearby Downs and also it is the headquarters of the crop circle fraternity. On the walls are posted photographs of the current circles and also the more elaborate ones of previous years. During most of the summer and autumn months it is possible to discover crop circles for yourselves, take photographs or even in some cases enter the circles to absorb the energy?

About 300 metres from Catkin Lodge is Woodhenge. This monument is thought to predate Stonehenge and was possible abandoned as a ceremonial site after the completion of Stonehenge. Woodhenge was discovered in the 1920s when a flying pioneer noticed the circular marks in the grassland. Subsequent investigation and excavation unearthed the post holes of three concentric wooden circles. Today these are marked with smaller concrete posts but one can still get an idea of what the construction may have looked like.There are several theories about Woodhenge, some think the construction was the wooden equivalent of Stonehenge , whilst others believe that the construction had a thatched roof and that it was a communial hall.

Just across the road from Woodhenge lies Durrington Walls. This is the largest henge in England. Although the earthworks are now only partially visible, it is still impressive. Within the henge were two Woodhenge like structures, parts of which havebeen recently excavated. During the excavations a Neolithic roadway was discovered leading down to the river Avon in a way similar to the Avenue at Stonehenge. This connects the two sites via the river which is thought to have been navigable at that time. During the excavations , the Channel 4 Time team filmed the event and reconstructed on of the timber circles. This programme was screened recently. There is a lot of information and photographs on their website

All photographs on this page are copyright of Terry Grace

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