Avebury henge

Dating back some 4,500 years, Avebury henge in Wiltshire is the world's largest neolithic stone circle. And very impressive it is too.

Cared for by the National Trust, you are free to wander the stones or, touch if you are looking for some cosmic energy. 

Unlike its neighbour, Stonehenge, some 24 miles south, it's free to enter and in my opinion, far more interesting.

It's called 'henge' due to the ditch and embankment which encircle the stones. Inside the main circle are two smaller circles and outside, a stone avenue which leads to the main ring.

Built by farmers 2,500 years before christ and while the Egyptians were building the Great Pyramids (draw your own conclusions), the rings consist of hundreds of stones, some weighing up to 60 tonnes.

Over the millennia, many stones have been removed. Some were used for construction elsewhere and others buried possibly for religious ideals.

Forgotten for centuries, it was finally restored by Alexander Keiller in 1935. He re-erected many of the stones and marked those missing with concrete markers. In 1943 it was taken over the National Trust and saved for the nation.

If you ever visit Stonehenge, Avebury henge is only half an hour away and well worth the drive.