Avebury

Avebury is a small village in northern Wiltshire that is best known for the stone circle that runs through part of the village centre.

The village is rich in important Neolithic monuments including not just the Avebury henge but also related sites such as West Kennet Avenue, the Sanctuary, West Kennet Long Barrow, Windmill Hill and Silbury Hill.

It is just a small place with a population of around 500 and it manages to remain very low key despite the locals being outnumbered by tourists to a large degree. This is largely due to the efforts made by the National Trust to keep tacky souvenir shops and tourism-related businesses away from the village.

Like Stonehenge, Avebury can get very busy at Summer Solstice.

Coming and going

Although it is easiest to visit if you’re driving, Avebury is also accessible by local bus routes that run to nearby Marlborough, 10.5km (6½ miles) to the east, and Swindon, 17km (10½ miles) north of Avebury.

Stagecoach bus route 49 stops outside the Red Lion pub inside the stone circle with an hourly service linking Swindon with Devizes and Trowbridge. The less frequent route 42 (operated by Swindon’s Bus Company) stops in Avebury en route between Calne and Marlborough, however, bus 42 does not operate on Sundays.

The X76 bus route (also run by Swindon’s Bus Company) stops in the nearby villages of Beckhampton and West Kennett, which are both a half-hour walk from Avebury. This bus runs between Bath and Marlborough but there is only one daily service in each direction on weekdays.

Sights and activities in Avebury

Places to stay in Avebury

Because Avebury is only a small village, there are not many accommodation options and the few places in the village where you can stay are rather expensive. Avebury Lodge is the most central option (it’s right inside the stone circle) and the Old Forge, a half-hour walk south of the village is another, more rural, option.