Stone circles — when it comes to henges (prehistoric wood or stone earthworks ringed by a bank and a ditch) — Stonehenge comes to mind. Our visit to the United Kingdom included London, the British Museum Part 1 – Part 2 – and Part 3, Bath, and the Kelpies of Scotland. Stonehenge, unfortunately, didn’t fit with our self-drive itinerary…
News to me, the U.K. is home to many stone circles! Archeologist Aubrey Burl cites 1,303 in Britain, Ireland, and Brittany. Theories abound as to why henges came to be erected.
Visiting the henge at Avebury village proved a stroke of good fortune — it’s the largest in the world.
Moreover, it’s comprised of t-h-r-e-e rings surrounding the southwest English village.
It took hundreds of years to construct Avebury henge. One of its stones weighs over 100 tons!
The immediate area includes the only pub enclosed by a henge, a dovecote (where domesticated pigeons and doves nest), a church, a manor, a beekeeper (an affable French man who taught us much as we sipped afternoon tea with locally baked scones)… and assorted sheep.
What’s your theory as to why stone circles exist?…
This rocks.
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Lol good one, smartie 🙂
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Thanks!
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Nice post. Looks like you had the perfect day for your visit, too.
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It was, Cath 🙂
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I LOVE this post!! Thank you for some whimsy 🙂 and history.
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So glad, Patricia 🙂
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they are probably sacred sites, like the pyramids in Egypt !! … your Avebury henge.is lovely under the sun you’ve been very lucky !!!
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Indeed, I feel very fortunate
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Hiya, henges are magical, mysterious places, that channel our thoughts back to the ancient past. They make us question our beliefs and excite our imaginations with thoughts of pagan ceremonies and rituals.
To walk amongst the stones of Avebury Circle is a privilege and a pleasure; I’m happy that you got to experience it. Don’t beat yourself up about missing out on Stonehenge, the steps that have been taken to preserve it have only turned it into a theme park attraction. They have removed the magic.
I enjoyed reading your post, thanks for sharing. Take care.
Mick.
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Your words about henges are true & lovely! Thanks, Mick 🙂
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Reblogged this on Jenny's Photographic Journey.
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Many thanks, Craig 🙂
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What a lovely man you are to set up such a great site for Jenny!
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Jenny does some cooking for me and my hopelessly incapable “misfit” male friends, so I like reciprocating (big word, eh) by sharing my ‘non-gifts’
“The world’s absolutely worst cook” (if you don’t believe me, just ask Jenny (as I often regale her with my latest escapades “What have you done now?”)
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You are a both the best kinds of friends anyone could wish for ❤
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Wow. Over 1300 if them documented so far! Thank you for this visit to one of the largest. I like your blog post AND the comments afterwards. I agree that it is very challenging to imagine ourselves into another epoch and culture. And what an undertaking — what vision — what perseverance to work on it for so many years/generations!!!
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They are everywhere, and we haven’t a clue as to the true purpose, because we do not understand the civilization that created them. We look at everything from our perspective which is only one of so many. They are only religious sites because we see them that way. There is a form of power we do not understand (or is kept hidden from us). Until we change out perspectives they will remain a mystery
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I agree, grandfathersky — there are henges even in countries such as Australia…
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