Avebury
Neolithic henge monument / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Avebury is the site of the largest ancient monument in Great Britain. It consists of a large henge, several stone circles, stone avenues and barrows. The main henge and stone circle surrounds the village of Avebury in the English county of Wiltshire.
UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
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Location | Wiltshire, United Kingdom |
Part of | Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites |
Criteria | Cultural: i, ii, iii |
Reference | 373 |
Inscription | 1986 (10th Session) |
Area | 2,377.2 ha |
Coordinates | 51°25′43″N 1°51′15″W |
Avebury is one of the finest and largest Neolithic monuments in Europe, about 5,000 years old. Although older than the megalithic stages of Stonehenge 32 kilometres (20 mi) to the south, the two monuments were made by people of the same culture.
At grid reference SU10266996,[1] Avebury is roughly midway between the towns of Marlborough and Calne, just off the main A4 road. Avebury is a Scheduled Ancient Monument,[2] a World Heritage Site,[3] and a National Trust property.[4]
On the World Heritage list, Avebury and Stonehenge are listed together as 'Avebury, Stonehenge and Associated Sites'. However, Stonehenge is really a different site built at a different time.