Stone Circles capture our imagination. Maybe it is because we don’t really know exactly why or how they were built. They are found throughout the UK (and other places) but two of the most popular and easily accessed are Stonehenge and Avebury, which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. On my recent trip to Wiltshire County, I visited both and they are very different. I suggest visiting both but if you only have time for one hopefully this comparison will help you choose the one that is right for you.
Stonehenge
Stonehenge was built over 5000 years ago. Its lintel stones make it the most architecturally sophisticated stone circle in the world. It is one of the most impressive prehistoric megalithic structures in the world due to the size of the stones and the meticulous precision of its construction. The new visitor center has an audio visual exhibition that discusses the stones, the people and its meaning as well as featuring ancient artifacts.
I didn’t think I would like Stonehenge. I thought it would just be a tourist trap and it is but I am a tourist and it is one of those things you just kinda have to do if you go to England. You wait in line to park, you wait in line to get in (yes even with pre-booking), you wander around the exhibit in the visitors center in basically a large herd of people and then you wait in line to catch the bus to the stones. I hate lines, like really hate lines. I am terrible at waiting for anything. I could have walked to the stones from the visitor center but I just wanted to get it over with.
Imagine my surprise when I got up there and was completely awestruck. It is actually amazing. It was the day of the autumnal equinox so maybe there was a little extra juju or something. People were dancing in a drum circle so maybe that added a little charm too. I really was just there to check it off my list but I was floored. It was amazing to see. Amazing to think about how ancient people moved these huge rocks hundreds of miles and set them up to align perfectly with the solstice. Stacked them without a crane. Amazing.
There were still a ton of people around and it wasn’t like they faded into the background. It wasn’t a spiritual experience or anything like that for me. But it was really cool. It is a large fenced off field so you can walk around the circle but not up to the stones. You are always about 50 feet away. Unless of course you take an access tour for an additional cost outside of regular hours. We spent quite a while just walking around looking at it from different angles, trying (unsuccessfully) to take funny pictures of us holding the stones, taking pictures for other tourists, resting on the grass, etc. I probably could have stared at even longer but we had to get back in line to get the bus back and get in line at the gift shop and get in line to exit the parking lot. I still hate lines.
My niece had chosen to walk to the site and enjoyed walking through the pastures. There were cows and she loves cows. It is about a mile and a half and pretty easy. I feel like walking is a good idea, if you are able, it gives you a moment of peace before reencountering the crowds. For those with mobility issues the buses can take wheelchairs and scooters. There is also part of the grassy area that has been reinforced with some type of mat to make it hard enough for wheelchairs, etc. It is just a strip along one side but gives a good view.
There is a road that passes by the stone sight and we saw a huge line of cars doing a drive by. That is definitely one way to see it if you don’t want to pay the entrance fee but I will say the line was incredibly long and in my mind the only thing worse than waiting in a line of people is waiting in a line of cars. I don’t think you would save much time and I don’t feel that it would be as impressive from afar but to each their own. My parents would totally do the drive by.
Avebury
A few days later after our a time in Bath we visited Avebury. While not quite as awe inspiring as Stonehenge, it is impressive in other ways. Avebury is the largest stone circle in the world and contains unshaped standing stones forming a large outer circle and two smaller inner circles. The complex covers about 28 acres.
For me it was the difference in ambiance. Stonehenge, due to all of the tourists, seriously lacks any sort of ambiance but Avebury has a definite vibe. We parked in the main Avebury parking area, which is a fraction of the size of Stonehenges parking and there was no line to get in. We went to the visitors center to get a map, again no line. You can pay to enter the museum there but access to the stones is free.
We walked through pastures with sheep and cows dotted with megaliths. It was really cool. You can walk right up to the stones and touch them. The weather was beautiful, sunny and warm with a nice breeze which made for an absolutely perfect day out. We sat in the grass and looked across the fields and hills and relaxed. There were other people visiting but it is so spread out you never really felt it. It was just a nice quiet amble around some two ton megaliths, so totally normal right?! The weird part is it kind of did feel normal but magical at the same time. It was like we needed that calm, quiet, solitary feeling to open ourselves up to the spiritual side of these monuments built by ancient people. I bought some crystals afterwards. I’m not even kidding. Am I going to become a crystal gazing, hippie mystic? Probably not. But it was fun to embrace the more mystical side of the standing stones.
Bring a picnic lunch especially if the weather is nice. Having a picnic is the only thing that could have made our day better. There is also the Red Lion Pub nearby that serves food, if you don’t want to picnic or the weather isn’t cooperating. There was a wait when we arrived so we decided to depart instead of waiting because I am still terrible at waiting.
I would love to hear about your experience at Stonehenge, Avebury or any stone circle.